Partners in Crime
by Outsiders Obsessor
Summary: Everyone knows that Jedediah and Octavius have the innate tendency to get into trouble, especially when planning their adventurous schemes with one another. This story is a collection of one-shots ranging from just friendship to humor, hurt/comfort, adventure, and much more. What could possibly go wrong in the museum? In hindsight, a lot. (Will contain more characters.) No slash.
1. Movie Night

**Partners in Crime**

 **Chapter 1: Movie Night**

 **Disclaimer: Only the OCs belong to me. All the other characters belong to 20** **th** **Century Fox.**

"Come on, Octavius! We just watched that movie last week," Jedediah complains, watching as the famous Roman general almost chooses _Gladiator_ _ **again**_ _._

"It's a classic, Jedediah. Roman soldiers, gladiators, action, and excitement all come together," Octavius points out, defending his choice for movie night. "Besides, I do believe you made me watch that dreadful film two weeks in a row. What is it called again?" the Roman soldier smirks at his best friend.

" _The Lone Ranger_ is not dreadful! It's a classic cowboy movie," Jedediah points out, pushing Octavius out of the way of the tablet.

Every Friday night, Octavius and Jedediah borrow Larry's tablet for a movie night. The two miniatures watch the movie in their car that usually pulls Rexy's bone to give Jed and Octavius the "drive-in experience" as Larry calls it. Usually Jedediah and Octavius can come to an agreement on which movie to watch; one of them gets to choose a movie for one week before it's the other's turn. Tonight, however, seems to be the one night Jed and Octavius just can't make a compromise. In all actuality, it _should_ be Octavius' turn; Jedediah had two consecutive weeks of _The Lone Ranger,_ after all.

"That must be why _you_ like it, then," Octavius deadpans, scrolling through both Netflix and Larry's personal list of movies on the night guard's tablet. "Look, Jedediah, we need to be rational about this, my friend," he continues, looking at his blonde-haired friend with a serious expression on his face.

"What do you suggest we do, Ockie?" Jed asks, using his nickname he made up for Octavius a little more than a year ago.

"Well, I figured we could poll our friends," Octavius suggests while he scratches behind one ear-a trait Jed associates with the Roman general's uneasiness or worry.

"Now, that's the first good idea you've had all night," Jedediah jokes, his eyes shining with laughter.

"Race you to Ahkmenrah's tomb?" Octavius challenges, hopping down from the counter and onto the cushioned chair at the front desk.

"You're on, partner," Jedediah laughs before taking off after his best friend.

Their calls of "Come on, slowpoke!" and "You'll never beat a Roman, Jedediah!" fill the hallway as they race towards the Pharaoh's tomb.

"Hey, Ahk!" Jed calls as he screeches to a stop inside the Egyptian tomb exhibit.

"My liege, we would like a word, please," Octavius politely says, nudging Jed harshly in the ribs.

The American cowboy still has no sense of propriety, calling Ahkmenrah by simply "Ahk". The nerve Jedediah possesses still baffles Octavius to this very day. One day, Octavius is sure Jedediah's impulsiveness will get just the cowboy, if not the both of them, in a great deal of trouble.

"Octavius and Jedediah! What can I do for you, my friends?" Ahkmenrah kindly asks as he appears from his sarcophagus, clothed in his pharaoh robes and crown.

He proceeds to crouch down where he can clearly see the miniatures' faces and expressions.

"Jedediah and I were hoping you could help us choose a movie," Octavius responds in a slightly less formal tone than he did when calling Ahkmenrah a liege no more than thirty seconds ago.

"Yeah, 'cause Octavius wants to watch _Gladiator_ again," Jed says, butting into the conversation.

"Yes, that is true. However, Jedediah wants to watch _The Lone Ranger,"_ Octavius adds in where Ahkmenrah can understand both sides.

"Well, I can definitely see the positives for watching either," Ahkmenrah smiles at the two miniatures.

Ever the mediator, Ahkmenrah never likes to choose sides between his friends. All of the museum agrees the young pharaoh must have made quite the impressive ruler when he was fully alive both day and night. Ahkmenrah's peace-keeping skills are nothing less than amazing; the young Egyptian pharaoh can make any of the museum's inhabitants get along. Octavius appreciates the order and friendship Ahkmenrah brings to the museum; Jedediah enjoys the fun-loving and rebellious Ahkmenrah that sometimes gets into mischief. Jed and Ahk have pranked Larry all too frequently….

"Might I offer a suggestion?" Ahkmenrah continues, an idea forming in his head.

" 'Course ya can, Ahkmenrah," Jedediah answers, straightening his black Stetson hat in the process.

"What do you recommend, Ahkmenrah?" Octavius inquires, looking up at the pharaoh in curiosity.

"Well, I may not be quite the movie expert you two are, but I have always wanted to see the new movie _Gods of Egypt,"_ Ahkmenrah admits, thinking of the Egyptian-themed mythology movie. "It looked to be filled with action, adventure, betrayal, and even a touch of romance," Ahkmenrah continues, knowing his friends love all of the mentioned genres and plot choices.

Well, to be completely accurate, Octavius loves the romance genre; he hates the betrayal plot devices in most movies. Octavius had heard tales of Brutus killing Caesar; he _did_ live in the Roman Empire, after all. Jedediah is usually opposed to watching romance films, commenting that they were too predictable and mushy. "Your large heart makes you a sap for these love stories, Ockie," is a phrase Octavius has grown all too familiar with hearing from Jedediah. And yet- Octavius is not one-hundred percent certain- the Roman general could have sworn he saw Jedediah bawling like a baby when the two of them watched _A Walk to Remember_ together. Something about Jamie having leukemia and dying in the movie made tears stream down Jed's face despite the cowboy trying to hold them in. However, Octavius would never judge his friend for crying; Octavius cried so hard his chest shook with sobs.

"Nice suggestion, Ahk," Jedediah smiles, glad that the mythology movie has quite a bit of common ground that both himself and Octavius like to watch.

"Thank you for your time, Ahkmenrah," Octavius gratefully says, bowing to the pharaoh out of respect.

"Anytime, my friends. Now, let me know when you two are going to start a movie. I would love to watch one tonight, too," Ahkmenrah smiles, picking himself up from the ground before walking out of the tomb towards the main hallway.

"We will, Ahk!" Jedediah assures, his blue eyes lighting up as he turns on his heel and runs towards the other wing of the hallway.

"Jedediah, where are you running off to, my friend?" Octavius calls after the cowboy in concern.

"Last one to Attila's camp is a rotten egg!" Jedediah happily laughs, his blonde hair disappearing around a corner.

"You're on, Jedediah! Romans never lose!" Octavius yells after the cowboy before running after Jed with a determined look on the Roman's face.

After talking to Ahkmenrah, Attila, Teddy, Sacagawea, Larry, and Hannah -a freshman student in college that usually works at the museum during the day hours when she doesn't have classes- Octavius and Jedediah have finally decided on a movie all of the exhibits and two living humans will enjoy.

" _Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,"_ Teddy reads off the DVD box as Hannah slips the DVD into the TV in the security office. "What made you choose this movie, lads?" the president asks as he sits down on the couch by Sacagawea.

"Well, we wanted to pick somethin' everybody could enjoy. And it ain't easy findin' one of those movies, either," Jedediah remarks from his place on the arm of the couch next to Octavius.

The two miniatures sit on the arm of the couch whenever watching TV with any of the larger exhibits where no one can mistakenly sit on either Jed or Octavius. One close call with Attila nearly flattening Octavius led to the agreement that the arms of the couch are reserved for any of the miniature cowboys or Romans who want to watch TV with the other museum inhabitants.

"Yes, this _Percy Jackson_ seems to have adequate material for everyone. Mythology for Ahkmenrah, adventure for Jedediah, action for Attila and Larry, jokes and dry wit for Teddy, romance for Hannah, honor and tradition for myself, and uh- We figured Sacagawea would just like it," Octavius speaks up, not being able to look Sacagawea in the eyes. "Sorry, my lady. You don't really seem to have a particular set of movies you enjoy," the Roman general apologizes.

"It's quite all right, Octavius. I am okay with any type of movie. They're all wonderful," Sacagawea assures, which makes both miniature men smile.

"Hannah, start the movie, will ya?" Jedediah says, throwing a piece of popcorn in the air before catching it in his mouth.

"That was rude, Jedediah," Octavius remarks, elbowing his cowboy friend in the ribs harshly.

"I agree. You do not treat Hannah that way," Ahkmenrah agrees, coming to his girlfriend's defense.

"Guys, cut it out. I know what he meant. It's fine, Jedediah," Hannah tells the three of them, rolling her blue eyes as she slips the DVD into the DVD player. "Don't worry about it," she continues, moving back to her place on the couch beside Ahkmenrah and the miniatures.

"Thank you! At least _someone_ understands I'm not rude _all_ the time!" Jedediah pouts, giving Octavius a fake frown.

"Jedediah, my friend, you know what I meant," Octavius says, fumbling over his words as he tries to apologize. "I—well,…"

"Got ya good, boy," Jed laughs, which makes Octavius roll his eyes and steal their tiny bowl of popcorn away from Jedediah.

About thirty-eight minutes into the movie, Hades appears on-screen in all his hair-raising, fiery glory. Sacagawea gasps lightly, burying her face into Teddy's shirt until she knows what is going on in the movie. The president wraps his arm around his girlfriend, whispering small words of comfort in her ear. While Sacagawea is scared for the moment being, Jedediah is just overly amused by the scene.

 _"_ _Percy Jackson, show yourself!"_ the on-screen Hades commands, looking around Camp Half-Blood looking for the child of Poseidon.

"Hey, that sounds like you, Ockie," Jedediah laughs, realizing the similarities between Octavius' manner of speaking and the movie's portrayal of Hades.

"That does not! No one can copy my voice," Octavius disagrees, shaking his head at the cowboy.

" _Hades! Stay back!"_ Chiron yells in the movie, brandishing two small swords from his sides.

"I cannot sound like that buffoon Hades! He's not even Roman! How could you even suggest such a thing, Jedediah?" Octavius continues, not seeing the resemblance between his voice and this character.

"Well, aren't Hades and your God of the Underworld pretty much the same thing?" Larry asks the Roman general, which nearly sends Octavius into a rage.

"No, Larry, they're not," Octavius says through gritted teeth, trying to keep his composure. "Pluto is the _rightful_ God of the Underworld! Hades is just a knock-off version of Pluto for the Greeks! They _are not_ the same! End of story," Ockie all but yells, his face getting redder by the second.

"Gosh, Ockie. Calm down, son. Have a cookie and calm down," Jedediah snickers, handing his best friend a miniature cookie that Hannah and Larry have learned how to make for Jed and Octavius.

"They're being so inappropriate, Jedediah. You instigate too much," Octavius says after taking a bite of the small cookie.

"Let's just get back to the movie," Hannah suggests, pressing play on the remote.

"Thank you, my lady," Octavius addresses Hannah with respect, leaning back against the arm of the couch with a less than pleasant look on his face.

 _"_ _Percy Jackson, bring me the bolt! Be a good boy. Hand it to me and I will exchange it for your mother."_

"You have to admit, lad, he does bare striking resemblance to your voice," Teddy says as Sacagawea uncovers her face from his shirt.

She is no longer afraid of Hades after Jedediah and the others pointed out he sounds like Octavius.

"He does not, Teddy. Surely you do not believe that _I,_ General Octavius of the great Roman Empire would ever threaten a child with keeping their mother in the Underworld," Octavius scoffs.

"Of course not, Octavius. But, you do have to see that his voice is quite similar to your own," Teddy continues.

"He does sound like you," Larry agrees.

"I hate you all right now," Octavius groans, propping his feet up on the edge of the couch.

"I don't think he sounds like you," Ahkmenrah tells the general, which makes Octavius smile slightly.

"Thank you. Well, let me rephrase. I hate all of you _except_ Hannah and Ahkmenrah."

"We're gonna hear about this all night," Jedediah whispers to Attila.

"Hey! I heard that, Jedediah!" Octavius tells his best friend in an unamused voice.

"Good. Ya do have ears under that helmet then," Jedediah jokes, making Octavius roll his brown eyes as he takes a sip of his hot chocolate.

That sends Octavius off into mumblings about sarcastic cowboys and teaching Jedediah a lesson he won't soon forget.

Precisely an hour and twenty-six minutes into the movie, an all-too familiar voice calls out once more.

" _Persephone!_ _What could possibly be taking so long?" Hades comments once more, which makes Jedediah have to stifle a laugh. "Don't ignore me!" the God of the Underworld continues._

"Here we go again," Ahkmenrah whispers, knowing that Octavius is going to be really mad if people continue to say that the Greek God of the Underworld sounds like him.

"I see you getting ready to speak, Jedediah. Don't do it, my friend," Octavius softly says, really not in the mood to hear more comments about Hades sounding like him.

"Don't do what, pardner? I wasn't gonna say nothing," Jedediah smirks, his blue eyes laughing along with the rest of him.

"It does sound like you," Larry comments.

"Larry…." Octavius says in a warning tone.

"Don't get him riled up again, Gigantor. It ain't worth it," Jedediah comments.

"Thank you, my friend. That's the first nice thing you've said this evening to me," Octavius smiles, knocking his glass of hot chocolate against Jedediah's glass as best friends do.

"You're welcome, Ockie. 'Sides, the only one who gets to pick on my best friend is me," the famous cowboy laughs, earning him a light smack on the shoulder from Octavius.

"It still sounds like you," Larry whispers before mumbling about how Octavius is too concerned with his Roman image and title to accept when he's wrong.

" _You're Hades?" Grover remarks on screen._

 _"_ _Yes," Hades answers back in a deadpan voice._

"No, I'm not," Octavius softly says.

"Did you just admit that you sound like that road lizard?" Jedediah comments, thinking he must have heard his friend wrong.

"No. What an utterly stupid idea, Jedediah," Octavius laughs in an obviously fake way.

"Whatever you say, pal," Jedediah says to keep his friend from going on another rant. "I never did thought it sounded like ya in the first place, Ockie," he adds in, making Octavius smile.

"Thank you, my friend. I appreciate that."

"Any time, pardner."

After the movie is over, the museum exhibits, along with Hannah and Larry, start to leave from the break room. It's about an hour until sunrise, so everyone starts to head their separate ways to make sure everything is cleaned up for the next day. Hannah holds her hand out and Octavius and Jedediah happily take the lift and stand on her hand until they reach the Hall of Miniatures.

"Did you guys like the movie?" Hannah asks as she climbs the stairs to the second floor.

"I enjoyed it, yes. Even with the comments about Hades sounding like me…." Octavius answers, having liked the movie as a whole.

"It was great! Man, I love movie night," Jedediah responds with a smile, straightening his black Stetson hat in the process.

Hannah gently sets the miniatures down in front of the Western diorama and Jedediah and Octavius turn around to bid her farewell for the evening, or day, if you want to be precise about it.

"I'll see you two tomorrows," Hannah smiles at the two miniatures, glad every night is an adventure with the two of them around.

"Goodnight, Lady Hannah," Octavius bows, earning him a laugh from Hannah at his constant formalities.

"Night, amiga. See ya tomorrow night," Jedediah comments, hopping up onto the edge of the Western diorama display.

"Stay out of trouble, okay?" she continues, mostly directing this statement to Jedediah.

"We shall try our best," Octavius grins, knowing very well that he and Jed can get into quite the trouble if they put their minds to it.

"No promises," Jedediah smirks, watching as Hannah walks down the hall towards Ahkmenrah's tomb.

"What do you want to do tomorrow night, Jedediah?"

"Well, I was thinkin' we could drive around the museum again and maybe cause mischief….."

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter One of Partners in Crime! I hope everyone enjoyed; please leave a comment with what you thought. Also, if anyone has any ideas for any future one-shots, let me know in either a review or a PM. However, please keep your ideas at a K rating and do not contain any slash in your prompts. I do not write slash, so I don't want anyone to be disappointed if they suggest one and I don't write it. I'm telling you in advance. I got the idea for this story while binge watching the Night at the Museum trilogy with my younger sister last weekend; Jedediah and Octavius' friendship is just amazing and hilarious all at the same time. The two of them and Ahkmenrah are easily my top three favorite characters. Be on the lookout for more one-shots in this story; I already have quite a few ideas! I'll try and update every Monday if I can since my last day of school for the year was last Thursday. Until the next chapter, my amazing readers!**

 **P.S. In case you didn't know, Hades and Octavius** ** _are_** **both played by the talented and funny Steve Coogan. So, they** ** _do_** **sound similar. :)**


	2. Driving Lessons

**Chapter 2: Driving Lessons**

"Are you sure about this, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires in a shaky tone, not feeling confident about the current situation.

"Of course I'm sure, Ockie. 'Sides, I'm never wrong, am I?" Jedediah confidently responds, not fazed by his best friend's insecure attitude.

"Yes, you are. Quite frequently actually, my friend," Octavius responds with a slight sigh exiting his lips as he shakes his head.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that, Octavius," the blonde cowboy shrugs off the statement. "Now, come on. Get up," Jedediah urges, poking on Octavius' knee with one finger.

"No. I am quite comfortable in this spot," the Roman general argues, crossing his arms over his chest and bearing all of his weight on the seat. "You _cannot_ make me move," he says in a childish tone, making Jedediah snort in laughter.

 _"_ _Two can play at this game….." Jedediah thinks with a smile crosses his lips._

He is going to get the Roman to take the car for a spin, whether the general wants to or not.

"Get up," Jedediah says, poking Octavius' knee again. "Get up, get up, get up, get up," he continues saying, each time poking a different part of Octavius's body: his leg, his forearm, his armor-covered chest, and finally Octavius' face.

The last gesture pushes Octavius off of the edge of sanity.

"Okay! You win, Jedediah! Get out of the bloody driver's seat and let me sit down!" Octavius yells at the cowboy, annoyed at his best friend's antics.

Jedediah Smith can be quite the stubborn- and annoying- miniature to Octavius when he wants to be. That type of behavior grates on every last one of Octavius' nerves; Jed knows _too_ well how to get Octavius riled up and mad at _every_ little thing.

"Now you're talking, Ockie!" Jedediah smiles, opening the driver side door of their blue and red miniature car.

Octavius mumbles something incoherently under his breath, not pleased at all with the situation he's finding himself in.

Jedediah leaves the door open for Octavius as the blonde walks in front of the car towards the passenger's side. The Roman soon reaches the driver's side of the car and reluctantly moves his right leg into the car first.

"Do I really have to do this?" he asks, looking over at Jedediah who is currently sitting in the passenger seat with a nonchalant look on his face.

"Yes, pardner, ya do. Come on, it won't be hard. I promise," Jedediah says, motioning with one hand for Octavius to finish climbing into the car.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Octavius inquires in a scared tone, not being used to driving the car on his and Jedediah's nightly trips around the museum.

" 'Course it's safe, Octavius. I mean, ya survive ridin' with me drivin', after all," Jed states, knowing that Octavius can never argue with logic.

"That's true. I guess I'll give it a try," the Roman smiles, slipping the rest of his body into the car.

"Now you're talkin', Ockie. Now, shut the door before you bang the car up," the cowboy smiles, not wanting Octavius to slam the door against one of their larger surroundings.

"And why are we doing this again?" Ockie questions, anxiously looking around the car, still wishing their car had some sort of restraining device.

 _"_ _Oh, they're called seatbelts," Octavius remembers silently. "I wish we had some right now."_

"You need to learn how ta drive, Octavius."

"I just— I don't want to hurt you, Jedediah."

"You ain't gonna hurt me, Octavius," Jedediah assures, casting an encouraging look over at Octavius. "Don't worry 'bout it. You'll do great, pal."

"Thank you for the encouragement, Jedediah," Octavius smiles, releasing a breath he didn't realize he has been holding. "Now, what do I do first?"

"Well, first, you've gotta put the car in drive, kemosabe," Jed laughs, watching as Octavius tries to move the car while it's still in park. "But, keep your right foot on the brake," he instructs, not wanting the car to roll into Attila who is standing about ten paces from the miniatures' car.

"Right. I knew that," Octavius says in slight embarrassment, his cheeks blushing a light pink as he realizes how dumb of a question that must be for Jedediah to answer.

The Roman general switches the gears from P to D and keeps his sandaled right foot pressed firmly on the brake. He doesn't want an accident to happen during his first minute behind the wheel.

Jedediah leans back in his seat, ready to remain supportive and encouraging towards his best friend.

"Now, slowly pull past Attila towards Ahkmenrah where ya can start off on a straight path," the cowboy instructs, using a calm tone where he doesn't upset Octavius or make the Roman general nervous.

"Okay. Am I doing well so far, Jedediah?" Octavius asks, much like a son who is wishing for his father's approval.

"Ya sure are. Now, turn left to avoid Dexter!" Jedediah says in a slightly nervous voice.

Even though he has a year's worth of experience in driving their car, Jedediah still has a fear of running into Dexter; there's never any warning about what the Capuchin may or may not do at any given time.

"Whoa! Hold on, Jedediah!" Octavius yells out in alarm, not wanting to fling his friend forward or out of the car as he swerves to avoid Dexter as the monkey runs past the two miniatures, clutching Larry's keys to his furry chest.

"Dexter, bring those back!" Larry yells as he runs _slowly_ after Dexter, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.

The night guard does not see the miniature car, however, and trips over the red and blue car, landing on his face. Octavius just sits in the car, staring in shock with his mouth open at the accident he has created.

"Should I help Larry?" Octavius nervously asks, not wanting to be responsible for an accident on his first night driving their car,

"Nah. Drive away fast, pardner before he sees us!" Jedediah harshly whispers, quickly moving the car into reverse for the Roman. "Now, go, Ockie! Step on the gas!" he continues, seeing Larry starting to look over in their direction.

"Jed and Octavius? Is that you?" Larry asks with a groan, rolling over on his side.

"Nope! It's just, uh, the soccer ball rollin' by!" Jedediah lies, motioning for Octavius to hurry up with backing the car up.

"Yes, my liege. It is not us, I assure you," Octavius joins in on the lie as he steps harshly on the gas pedal. "We're watching kittens!" he deepens the lie, speeding away from the scene of the accident with slight remorse.

"I could've sworn I saw Jed laughing in the passenger seat," Larry remarks in a confused voice while his face begins to bruise near his mouth and left eye.

"No, that was Dexter! He's gettin' away from you, Gigantor!" Jed taunts as he tries to stifle a laugh while Octavius speeds them away to relative safety near a wall and Ahkmenrah.

Both men let out sighs of relief as Octavius parks the car near one of Ahkmenrah's sandaled feet as the Pharaoh waits to join the next soccer match.

Octavius turns to look at Jedediah before both of the miniatures start to bust out laughing.

"Ha-ha! Did you see the look on Larry's face?" Octavius laughs hysterically, throwing his head back and hitting his hand against the side of the leather seat.

"It was priceless, boy! Man, Ockie, I should have taught ya how to drive sooner!" Jedediah agrees, chuckling at the Roman's accident and comedic timing while tears stream from his blue eyes due to all the laughing.

"So, I didn't do too bad for my first time, then?" Octavius asks in concern, not wanting to be chastised by his best friend and driving instructor.

"Nope, pardner. Ya did great! I think we still have much for ya to learn, though."

"Jedediah, I have one thing to ask you."

"What might that be, Ockie?" Jedediah wonders aloud, hoping his friend and driving student isn't having any second thoughts about driving around the museum.

"Do I have to go that fast all the time?" Octavius asks in concern. "I—I don't wish to cause any of our friends to have an accident. After all, Larry and Dexter could have been really hurt," the Roman general continues.

"Nah. Ya don't gotta drive that fast all the time, kemosabe. _I_ go fast 'cause I love danger and bein' reckless," the cowboy smirks which makes Octavius quietly chuckle, knowing this to be true. "You can go whatever speed makes you comfortable, Ockie," Jedediah assures, clapping one hand on Octavius' shoulder before immediately regretting it.

The metal of Octavius' armor slams against Jedediah's hand, making the cowboy wince and pull his hand backward as he stares at the small bruise starting to form along the joints in his hands.

"I always forget about that armor bein' so tough. No wonder ya never get hurt on the battlefield, Octavius," he says as he clenches and unclenches his fingers to try and get some feeling back in his hand.

"Sorry, my friend if my attire hurt you. Now, where shall I drive to next?" Octavius apologizes before changing the subject.

"Uh, let's head for the Planetarium," the blonde cowboy suggests, pointing in the direction of the Planetarium wing.

"All right. And, Jedediah?" Octavius says with a slightly confused tone.

"Yeah, pardner?"

"I know where the Planetarium is by now. You don't have to point the way."

"Now you're just bein' a snob!" Jedediah remarks with a straight face.

"You take that back! I am not a snob and you know that!" Octavius tells Jedediah as he turns the car towards the Planetarium. "At least, I hope you do…" he adds in.

"I know that, kemosabe. Lighten up, will ya?" Jedediah laughs.

"Oh, that was another one of your sarcastic jokes. Well, ha-ha," Octavius answers with an obviously fake laugh. "It worked; you fooled me."

"All right! One more point to ol' Jedediah!" the cowboy cheers, punching one of his hands against the top of the car's roof.

"Against how many points for me?" Octavius teases, a knowing smile on his lips as he picks up speed on the straight hallway that leads to the Planetarium.

"Ten," Jedediah barely mumbles, not wanting to expose that he is trailing behind Octavius by around six points.

"I'm sorry; what was that?" Octavius feigns not being able to hear his friend with a smirk. "I didn't quite hear you, my friend," he continues, making Jedediah do a fake pout.

" _Ten, all right!_ You're the jokes and sarcasm master, Ockie! No one can get on your level," Jedediah answers, which makes Octavius laugh.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew your place," the Roman general tells Jedediah.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, Toga Boy. Your Roman snobbiness makes ya think ya have to be number one in everything."

"But, I—You said you know I'm not a snob!"

"Second point for ol' Jedediah!" Jed laughs, his blue eyes shining as he looks over to see Octavius with a disgruntled look on the Roman general's face.

"You are utterly hopeless, my friend," Octavius deadpans, slowing the car to a complete stop.

"Hey! What's that 'posed to mean?"

"Nothing. It's about time that we started to head over to the computer to watch more videos on YouTube."

"Is that the video watching thingy we love so much?" Jedediah questions, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Yes, Jedediah. It is. Now, would you like to drive?" Octavius offers, opening the driver's door and stepping out onto the museum's tile floor.

"You know I'd love to. Now, step aside, student, and watch the master," Jedediah answers, quickly jumping into the driver's seat before Octavius even can blink twice.

"I thought you said I did a good job driving, Jedediah."

"You did, Ockie. But, you still need a few more lessons before you're even half as good as me. Well, you'll never be as crazy as me, but I guess I'll have to deal with that, huh?"

"Indeed. Now, we must go before Larry decides we need a curfew for tonight. You know how he gets when we run the battery down on his precious laptop," Octavius jokes, though most of his sarcasm is actually true.

"Let's ride, pardner," Jedediah comments, pulling sharply away from the wall, leading to Octavius almost being flung forward into the dashboard. "What are we going to do tomorrow night, Ockie? I got to pick tonight; you get to pick what we do tomorrow."

"I wish to have a video game war," Octavius replies, a challenging look on his face as he casts a look over at Jedediah, his brown eyes sparkling with the prospect of a challenge.

"You're on, Octavius. Prepare for the fight of your life."

"As I've said before, Jedediah, Romans never lose."

"We'll just have to test that theory tomorrow," Jedediah says, challenging Octavius' statement.

"Winner gets bragging rights for two weeks and can order the other around for a week. Deal?"

"Deal. You are so going down, pardner."

"In your dreams, my friend."

With that, the two miniatures ride off towards the information desk to watch YouTube videos on Larry's laptop, both of them hoping Larry won't realize it actually _was_ them who tripped him while running after Dexter and the museum keys.

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 2 of Partners in Crime! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; I really enjoyed writing it. I actually was able to write this chapter with some knowledge on driving lessons now that my dad gave me my first driving lesson yesterday. So, I hope to hear from you amazing guys and girls soon! Until next time, my amazing readers.**

 **P.S. I didn't update yesterday like I should have because I was really busy and was barely home all day. I'll try to stick to Monday updates from now on.**


	3. Video Game War

**Chapter 3: Video Game War**

 **Disclaimer: I still only own my OCs, unfortunately. If I owned the actual characters, I would give Octavius, Jedediah, and Ahkmenrah their own show. That would be great….. *Fangirl images start* Anyway, onto the story!**

The night begins just like every other night at the museum. Sunset hits and the golden Tablet of Ahkmenrah begins to glow above the Pharaoh's head. Soon enough, every exhibit is coming to life for the night, friendly calls exiting almost everyone's mouth as each museum exhibit finds his or her best friend or companion for the evening. Octavius and Jedediah are no exception to this unstated rule, each miniature climbing down from his respective diorama, anxious to see each other and kick the night into high gear before the clock strikes eight. Hey, if they're going to get in trouble, why not start at an early time to have fun longer? As Octavius lands on the tiled floor, his sandals echoing at the force his small feet make, he realizes that tonight is not the same as the others he spends with Jedediah. War is in the air, and Octavius is already getting into his "No mercy!" and "Romans never lose!" state of mind. He walks over towards Jedediah with a straight face, not allowing his usual smile to cross his lips at seeing his best friend.

"Hey, Ockie!" Jedediah happily says, jumping down from his diorama with a smile on his lips. "Are you ready for our video game war?" he asks, stopping directly in front of his Roman friend.

"I suppose I am. But, just know this, Jedediah," Octavius starts off before locking his brown eyes onto Jedediah's blue ones, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

"Know what, pardner?"

"I am going to as they say, 'wipe the floor with you', my friend."

"Huh? Octavius, you get back here, boy!" Jedediah yells after Octavius as the general runs down the tiled corridor, his sandals echoing off of the tile while he continues as fast as his legs can carry him.

"Never! You'll have to beat me fair and square, Jedediah!" the general calls back over his shoulder, still running through the hallway towards the main stairs.

"Oh, you'll be sorry you ever challenged me, Toga Boy!" the blonde cowboy shouts as he takes off down the hallway as well; his boots make as much- if not more- noise than Octavius' sandals.

"Bring it, you Western weirdo!"

"Oh, you're gonna pay for callin' me that, Ockie! Wait 'til I get down there!"

Jedediah ends up sliding down the rail of the staircase, nearly giving Octavius and Sacagawea heart attacks. The young American Indian woman is walking near the staircase to meet up with Teddy like always when she sees Jedediah nearly have a crash impact with the hard ground many, many inches below him. She cups her hands quickly before catching Jedediah before he can crash to the ground.

"Jedediah, my friend! Are you all right?!" Octavius all but screams with concern, not sure if Jedediah has been hurt in any way. "Did you get hurt? How many fingers am I holding up?" the Roman continues on his nervous ramblings, looking over Jedediah as if a bruise, laceration, or any other visible injury will suddenly appear to him.

"Ockie, Ockie, Ockie. Slow down, buddy. I'm not hurt in any way, Octavius," Jedediah assures, tipping his black Stetson towards Sacagawea in gratitude. "And ta answer your question you're holdin' up two fingers," he says with a slight smirk, jumping down from Sacagawea's hand.

"I'm glad you're okay, Jedediah. Thank you for your assistance, Lady Sacagawea," Octavius says, bowing at the young woman with a gracious smile on his face.

"Anytime, Octavius. Now, I do believe you and Jedediah have a video game war to begin," Sacagawea smirks, knowing all too much about the Roman and cowboy's plan.

"We do," Ockie answers, beginning to walk towards Jedediah and the computer on the information desk.

"You'll come watch me kick Ockie's hide later, right?" Jedediah asks, earning him a slap from Octavius on the back of the cowboy's arm.

"We shall see. Now, I think Teddy is looking for me. Have fun during your war," Sacagawea kindly says before heading off towards where Teddy and Texas are usually waiting for her around this time of night.

"All righty, what shall we play first?" Jedediah inquires while hoisting himself up onto the computer desk.

"That is a good question, my friend. Let us see what Nicky or Rebecca have installed for us to play," Octavius replies, pushing his right leg onto the desk as he lands beside Jedediah.

Both miniatures go to the apps bar- they've figured out how to work computers fairly well in the past year- and start to hover the mouse over each of the icons. Well, to be accurate, Octavius reads off the names of the various games while Jedediah practically skates across the computer's mouse to move it one way or the other per Octavius' commands. So far, they've seen games like _Kinectimals Unleashed_ , _FarmVille 2: Country Escape,_ _Sudoko_ , and a few others that neither found really interesting.

"Okay, go to the right, Jedediah," Octavius instructs, craning his neck to see the lettering on the computer.

"It sure would help if this mouse wasn't so freakishly large!" Jedediah sighs, jumping to the right side of the mouse.

"Indeed it would. Maybe we should ask Hannah or Larry for a smaller one for Christmas," the Roman agrees, watching his best friend struggle with getting the mouse to work. "Cooking Fever?" Octavius reads off, a puzzled look on his face.

"Sounds lame. Next!" Jedediah announces, sliding to the far right of the mouse.

"King of Thieves?" Octavius tries, looking up to study the blonde's expression and reaction to the game.

"That sounds great, Ockie!" Jedediah smiles before jumping on the mouse to open the game. His blue eyes shine at the idea of playing a thieving game.

"Actually, it says we do not have access to that game, my friend. It says Larry has locked it with a password."

"Curse your knowledge of computers, Gigantor!"

With this statement, Jedediah jumps onto the left side of the mouse before his boot hits the left clicker on the mouse, bringing up a brightly colored screen with some weirdly shaped objects on it.

"What did you do, Jedediah?" Octavius asks in a loud voice in order to be heard over the blaring music that comes from the game.

The miniatures both feel their ears starting to pound as the sound continues to echo and drown out all other noise in a close proximity to them.

"I don't know what I did! Ya sure didn't tell me I was gonna trip, Ockie!" Jedediah yells, not being able to hear his own voice over the overly loud game.

"What? I'm having trouble hearing you, my friend," Octavius inquires, pressing one hand to his ear in an attempt to hear the cowboy better.

"What?! No comprendo, amigo," Jedediah continues, trying and failing to read Octavius' lips as the Roman keeps speaking.

"I still can't hear you. Did you say something?"

"I give up!" Jedediah yells before jumping down from the mouse, pulling the cord to the computer speakers with him.

A loud pop fills the air- at least to Jed and Octavius it's loud- and then the game falls to a quieter level.

"You did it, Jedediah! Well done," Octavius smiles, clapping Jedediah on the back.

"Thanks, pardner. At least now I can hear ya properly," Jedediah grins, looking up at the game, wondering what this crazy game's objective is.

"Swipe this candy to the left to match three of the same," Octavius reads off the screen.

"How in the blazes are we supposed to do that, Ockie?" Jedediah questions, scratching his head with one hand while holding his Stetson in the other.

"I don't know. Let me try with the mouse. You've already braved that summit once," Ockie determines, hopping up onto the computer's accessory to try and play the game properly.

The Roman general makes sure not to get his cape caught between the edge of the mouse and the desk like he did one time. The taunts from Jedediah on that night are something Octavius would much rather not hear again anytime soon.

"Yeah, and about killed myself hopping to the other side," Jedediah barely mumbles.

"I said I was sorry!" Octavius brings up, which makes Jedediah a little surprised.

He's never realized how great Octavius' hearing truly is.

"Man, Ockie, ya have hearin' like a wolf, don't ya?"

"Yes, I do; I'm choosing to take that as a compliment. I have to have good hearing to make sure my soldiers make it out alive."

All of this is said without Octavius losing concentration for even a single second, allowing him to beat the level of Candy Crush with a level score of 4,321- a score never achieved in the history of the museum until now. However, after the level is finished, Octavius is panting for breath at having to literally jump on the mouse and drag his feet in order to make the candies "slide" on the virtual screen. Jedediah offers the tired Roman a hand and Octavius gladly accepts it. The cowboy helps his best friend down, noticing the thin line of sweat appearing on Octavius' brow as the dark-haired general moves to sit down in front of the keyboard.

"Maybe you should take a break, Ockie," Jed suggests, making sure Octavius is sitting down.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. We'll take turns on this taxing game," Octavius gets out between two big gasps for air. "Shall we say best three out of five wins?" he challenges, taking a moment to remove his helmet before running one hand through his dark brown hair that feels like it has been set on fire to the miniature Roman. Hey, jumping on the computer mouse to play Candy Crush is no small feat for a miniature.

"You're on, pardner," Jedediah smiles, jumping onto the mouse before clicking on the second level.

His blue eyes are soon laser-focused on the screen; Jedediah Smith does not like to lose to anyone, even his best friend. The cowboy makes a silent vow that even if he does not win the Candy Crush battle, he _will_ find another way to beat Octavius in their video game war and win bragging rights and get to order Octavius around.

 _"_ _Victory is going to be sweet,"_ the blonde muses in his head, already planning commands to give to Octavius once the Roman admits defeat to him, the famous pioneer and cowboy of the American Wild West.

"Aw, come on!" Jedediah whines when the final scores for Candy Crush are tallied by the both of them. "How could I lose this dopey game?" he inquires, turning to face Octavius with an expression Octavius can't place in the cowboy's blue eyes.

"Well, Jedediah, this game did involve a bit of _strategy,"_ Octavius "helpfully" supplies.

"What's that 'posed to mean?" Jedediah asks as he stares up at the computer screen with wide eyes, wondering how he lost at matching candies three in a row.

"My friend, you just seemed to accept the first move you could find. There were many times where you could have combined several moves into one turn," Octavius brings up in a calm, non-bragging voice as he tries to calm his friend down.

"And I suppose you saw all this 'cause you're a great general and plans are your specialty. Did I get that right, Ockie?"

"Jedediah, please. It's only a game. Please do not get this emotional over matching color coded candies. I'd hate to ruin our friendship and night because of this."

The cowboy takes a moment to realize what it is that the Roman general has said. Jedediah shrugs his shoulders before hitching his thumbs in his pockets and looking away from Octavius. Then, he slowly begins to talk, pulling his Stetson down over his eyes slightly to hide his facial expression from the museum.

"Look, I'm sorry, Ockie. I didn't mean to get so mad," Jedediah apologizes, which makes Octavius stand up and approach the other miniature man with an acknowledging look on his face.

"Jedediah, I understand. You got too into the game. It happens to the best of us," Octavius says, placing a reassuring hand on Jedediah's back, which makes the cowboy turn around to face his companion.

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have got that riled up 'bout it, Octavius. You're right; it's just a game," the blonde cowboy admits, moving the black Stetson so it is no longer blocking his view of the Roman general.

"I'm sorry, _what_ phrase just came out of your mouth?" Octavius teases, not believing his ears that Jedediah admitted to being wrong.

"There's _no_ way you're gettin' me to repeat that pardner," Jed smirks, jokingly pushing past Octavius before hopping down from the computer desk.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Octavius grins, following Jedediah towards the Security Office where Larry has installed an Xbox 360 and keeps his Kindle Fire on most nights.

The two miniatures are far from done with their video game war; if Candy Crush triggered that much of a competitive nature in Jedediah, Octavius is sure the rest of the night will bring interesting reactions from both of them to say the least.

Both miniatures climb up the leg of the coffee table in the Security Office; Jedediah and Octavius have to take a few minutes to catch their breaths after the intense climb. In actuality, they climbed about a foot- twelve inches- which is four times the size of the Roman and American cowboy. After the wind is restored to their chests, Octavius and Jedediah walk over towards Larry's Kindle Fire, ready to unlock it and see what kind of games the night guard has on his tablet. It never ceases to make the two best friends laugh that after starting to work at the museum, Larry had to go out and buy himself a tablet- to be like Ahkmenrah and gain street cred according to Jedediah.

"Do you remember Larry's password?" Octavius asks, looking at the screen of the Kindle Fire in confusion.

"There is no password, Ockie. Ya just swipe the screen with your hand," Jedediah answers with a slight eye roll at the general.

Octavius never seems to remember how to work Larry's Kindle. Then again, Jedediah doesn't have the slightest clue on how to turn the computer on and calls YouTube "the video watching thingy".

"Well, it says enter your password," Octavius tells Jedediah, making Jedediah start to walk over.

"Why in the blazes does Gigantor all of the sudden have a password?" Jedediah mumbles where only Octavius can hear. "Does he not trust _us?"_ he inquires in a mock insulted tone, not knowing why the night guard would suddenly add a password to his Kindle that he leaves in plain sight every night.

"Well, Jedediah, if you remember, you _did_ buy ten dollars' worth of cowboy games on the device," Octavius smirks, which makes Jedediah open his mouth to make a rebuttal against his friend's statement.

"Now—" Jedediah begins before coming to a sudden realization. "Oh, yeah, I guess that was me," he says in a low voice while covering his face with his Stetson for the second time tonight, making Octavius chuckle lightly.

"So, any ideas for the password?" Octavius wonders aloud, hoping Jedediah will have a suggestion.

"Uh…. Why don't we just get Ahkmenrah or myself to hack the system?" Jedediah remarks, earning him an incredulous look from Octavius.

"Are you suggesting Ahkmenrah, the Fourth King of the Fourth King, knows how to _hack_ Larry's Kindle Fire?" Octavius skeptically asks, not believing the words coming from the blonde cowboy's mouth.

"Well, heck yeah! How do ya think we got on the computer's internet in the first place? Gigantor had it blocked where no one could buy stuff offa' his "Amazon" account, whatever the heck that is," Jedediah says with a smile and laughter expressed in his blue eyes. "Ahkmenrah ain't always the innocent, proper Pharaoh everyone thinks he is," he continues with a smirk.

"When is Nicky's birthday?"

"What does that have ta do with anythin', Ockie?"

"That would probably be his password, Jedediah." Octavius says, trying not to get mad at the blonde.

"I don't know! He don't tell me nothin'. 'Sides, most of what Gigantor tells me goes in one ear and right out the other," Jedediah laughs, earning him a stern look from Octavius, who is not amused by the situation.

"That must be why you never follow orders or know what's going on," Octavius mumbles under his breath, trying what he _thinks_ is Nicky's birthday.

"Did I hear my name?" Ahkmenrah asks in an adorable tone as he appears in the doorframe with Teddy, Sacagawea, and Hannah behind him.

"Yes, my liege," Octavius answers, casting a glance at the Egyptian Pharaoh as he growls when the Kindle rejects the password the Roman tried.

"Ahk, tell Octavius that ya know how to hack into Gigantor's tablet here!" Jedediah loudly blurts out, which makes Ahkmenrah's face switch to one of slight concern and alarm.

"Jedediah, you told me that you'd never speak of that aloud," Ahkmenrah whispers, his cheeks flushing pink as the cowboy admit the much-guarded secret of the young king.

"It's for the greater good, Ahk!" Jedediah assures, flashing a grin and giving Ahkmenrah a thumbs up. " 'Sides, it's not like any of us are gonna tell 'im or anythin'" the blonde cowboy continues, which makes Ahkmenrah give Jedediah a look of slight concern though he looks more appeased with that promise.

"So, Ahkmenrah, dear boy, you know how to do _what?"_ Teddy, ever acting as the concerned father, inquires, giving Ahkmenrah an incredulous, yet caring, look.

"And why must we not tell Larry?" Sacagawea asks, using her position as the museum's maternal figure as she remembers her own son.

"Um—Well, you see," Ahkmenrah says, stumbling over his words while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I learned how to "hack" Larry's tablet as Jedediah says it is called. It really isn't a big deal," he continues, turning his green eyes to look at the floor and his sandals.

"Not a big deal?" Teddy skeptically questions, looking over at Ahkmenrah with a raised eyebrow. "Ahkmenrah, I'm no expert, but that does sound a bit invasive of Larry's privacy," the twenty-sixth president of the United States of America says, giving a disapproving look to the Pharaoh as if Ahkmenrah is his own son and not thousands of years his senior.

"Then he shouldn't make his passwords for everything so easy," Ahkmenrah whispers to where only Jedediah, Octavius, and Hannah can hear him.

Hannah and Jedediah have to both stifle back laughs; both the cowboy and the college student's blue eyes fill with a few tears as they try to hold back their hysterical laughter.

"What is his password, Ahkmenrah?" Octavius calls out from the coffee table, having tried every possible number combination that comes to mind.

"Then after you tell Octavius the password to the Kindle, Ahkmenrah, you have to tell us what you've done with Larry's other passwords," Hannah insists, holding her Pharaoh boyfriend's hand with one of her own, the tanned tone of his skin popping against her rather pale skin. (She doesn't tan well in the sun; Hannah only gets sunburned.)

"I shall do both. Octavius, the password to Larry's tablet is 1130," Ahkmenrah smiles, proud of his skills as he and Hannah move to sit on the office's couch with Sacagawea and Teddy still remaining speechless in the doorway at Ahkmenrah's rebellious behavior.

"And why is it that?" Octavius directs towards the young Egyptian while jumping on the proper numbers with his miniature feet, an amused Jedediah watching from nearby.

"That's Larry's birthday," Ahkmenrah answers, resting one of his hand behind his head and wrapping the other one around Hannah's back as they sit on the couch.

"Is he that conceited that he has his own birthday as his password?" Jedediah demands, raising one eyebrow as if to feign surprise at the night guard's antics and behavior.

"It would appear that way," Teddy remarks, walking into the room to sit on the only chair the room offers.

"Teddy!" Sacagawea says in her scolding and motherly tone, making Jedediah, Octavius, Ahkmenrah, and Hannah laugh at the president's shocked face and huge eyes.

"Yes, my dear?" Teddy inquires in an innocent tone, trying to play off that he slipped a bit of a negative comment about Larry into his statement.

"First you tell Ahkmenrah that he can't hack into Larry's tablet," Sacagawea starts off, which makes the president try to regain some of his moral standing.

"Well, that's because this so-called "hacking" is illegal, my dear," Teddy says to defend his own actions and behavior.

"Making fun of Larry is also something you should not do, Teddy. You know you're one of the museum's biggest role models," Sacagawea kindly words the situation. "Besides, Jedediah and some of the other miniatures make enough fun of Larry for all of us," the Shoshone woman smiles at Jedediah, to which the blonde cowboy laughs at.

He never imagined Sacagawea actually _liked-_ let alone _approved-_ of his skills when it came to sarcastically flaming Larry or slipping in a few casual insults at the night guard. Jedediah now knows of the slightly rebellious and comedic Sacagawea that no one, save for Teddy, knew existed.

"I apologize, Sacagawea. Oh, and Ahkmenrah, tell us the rest of what you do with Larry's passwords," Teddy chuckles, making the whole room laugh as well.

"You did what?!" Jedediah howls with laughter after hearing the Pharaoh's statement.

"I hacked into Larry's Amazon account and bought some new soccer balls, new furnishings for the Hall of Miniatures, a miniature fishing boat and some fishing poles for Jedediah and Octavius, a new pair of sandals for myself, some mustache wax and new binoculars for Teddy, a modernized backpack for Sacagawea, and a few cleaning supplies for Attila and his men," Ahkmenrah smiles, pleased with his undercover work that he has done for the museum's inhabitants.

"How much did that cost Larry?" Hannah laughs, resting her head against her Pharaoh boyfriend's toned chest.

"Yes, how much did you charge to Lawrence's credit card?" Teddy wonder aloud with a large grin on his face as his mustache curls upward.

"I believe it was around one-hundred and sixty dollars with tax. The package should arrive tomorrow afternoon, according to the computer," he smirks, his green eyes betraying his happiness at pulling off a prank on the Guardian of Brooklyn like Ahkmenrah and Jedediah have done in the past.

"Wow, Ahkmenrah! I've taught you how to trick Gigantor good!" Jedediah cheers, propping his feet up on the edge of the Kindle with a smile.

"My liege, what all did you get for the Hall of Miniatures?" Octavius inquires while picking the next game for himself and Jedediah to play in their video game war.

"I acquired some new tents for the Western Diorama, a few new chariots and beds for the Roman soldiers under your command, and even a selection of new horses for both of your civilizations," the young king answers.

"Thank you for your thoughtful and generous nature, Ahkmenrah," Octavius smiles, sliding the Kindle over towards Jedediah as footsteps and a loud voice echo down the hall near the Security Office,

"Jedediah, you are in big trouble!" Larry's voice booms as he skids to a stop outside the doorframe.

"Speak of the giant," Jedediah mumbles under his breath.

Octavius nudges Jed in the ribs to get the cowboy to inquire why he is in trouble with the night guard _again._

"What did I do now, Laredo?" the blonde asks, running one hand over his face.

"Someone bought one-hundred and sixty dollars on my Amazon account a few days ago! Care to explain that little chestnut to me?" the night guard demands, walking over to the coffee table and seeing his Kindle Fire turned on and loaded on a game. "And how did you bypass my password? That's the reason I put one on it in the first place, Jedediah!"

"Larry, the Amazon situation is not Jedediah's fault," Ahkmenrah softly speaks up, ready to take the blame for the situation Jedediah had nothing to do with.

"Really, Ahk? Then who's fault was it? Jedediah's already bought ten dollars' worth of cowboy games on my Kindle," Larry inquires, only being able to hold his anger in check since he's talking to Ahkmenrah.

Larry always remains calm and respectful when talking to Ahkmenrah; there's never any telling when his twenty-foot jackal guards may decide Larry is threatening their king and need to teach the night guard a lesson.

"It was mine, Guardian of Brooklyn. I wanted to buy our friends some new furnishings and a few recreational activities for the museum as a whole," Ahkmenrah answers in a slightly ashamed and quiet tone, not wanting the night guard to anger that quickly again. "I'm sorry if I've upset you, Larry. As for the tablet situation, I also figured out your password for that and gave it to Octavius and Jedediah. I understand if you feel I must sit in my tomb for the rest of the night," Ahkmenrah sadly says, preparing to stand up before Hannah pulls him by the hand to sit back down on the couch.

"Larry can't give you orders on where you can go and when," Hannah whispers in his ear, which makes Ahkmenrah feel a little bit better about the situation that is unfolding.

"It's all right, Ahkmenrah. Just don't do that _ever_ again," Larry says while running a hand through his hair and burying his face in his hands at the idea his credit card would be charged for a hundred and sixty dollars on the next bill.

"He's playin' favorites again, Ockie," Jedediah whispers while taking his turn on some game called _Slither_ on Larry's Kindle.

"Yes, he does that quite frequently, Jedediah. He plays favorites between the two of us a lot as well," Octavius softly says back while watching Jedediah curl the bright green snake on _Slither_ around another player named King Richard.

"Come on, yeah! I killed that King Richard with ma snake!" the cowboy yells in a victorious voice before trying to do the same to someone named Snow White. "And, be real, Ockie. Gigantor don't have a favorite between the two of us," Jedediah assures his Roman friend before doing a celebratory dance at successfully beating Snow White on the game.

"Yes, he does. Larry _always_ seems to notice you when we walk in the same room or he always asks how _you're_ doing. It's like I'm invisible!" Octavius says through clenched teeth, which makes Jedediah give up the game and look over at Octavius with a skeptical look.

"I feel the same way you do when we're around people like Teddy," Jedediah admits, setting Octavius' screen name on _Slither_ as Octodaddy.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you are a rather great friend to me, Jedediah," Octavius smiles before starting the game. "Very clever name you came up with for my internet name," he tells Jedediah, which makes the blonde's blue eyes light up, pleased that Ockie liked the new nickname.

After being enemies for so long, Jedediah still does not want to set off any past animosities with Octavius by doing or saying anything stupid; their friendship means too much to the two of them for either the Roman or the cowboy to push boundaries that far.

"I feel the same way about you, pardner. I couldn't ask for a better friend, Ockie," Jedediah smiles, glad that Octavius feels the same way that he does about their friendship.

"Neither could I, Jedediah," the general remarks in a happy tone as his on-screen snake travels on the path Octavius draws with his miniature feet. "Curse this Jack Sparrow player!" he soon yells out as his snake is eaten by a much larger one that coiled around his character while Octavius was talking to Jedediah.

"We can play best three out of five like we did for _Candy Crush,_ Ockie."

"I would hope so. That Jack Sparrow is going to pay vengeance when General Octavius of the Roman Empire gets ahold of him!"

Jedediah can't help but laugh at Octavius' statement. Octavius would never live down letting a _complete stranger_ beat him at a game of _strategy._

Four hours later, close to midnight, Jedediah and Octavius have finished playing seven other games. Currently, Octavius is up by one point, having beaten Jedediah at their last game, which was a game called _Merged_ that Hannah has on her phone. It's another game of strategy, which is why Jedediah claims he didn't do well. The main objective is to match the colored dice in order to get three M's in a row, which forms an explosion to clear off part of the board and add extra points to the player's score. Octavius dominated Jedediah, winning by a margin of three-thousand points overall; Jedediah really doesn't mind. About halfway through the final round, Jedediah proclaimed that the game is "too confusing and a waste o' my time". So far, Octavius is winning their little video game war with a score of five points to Jedediah's four points. After Jedediah won _Slither_ \- with a disgruntled Octavius mumbling for half an hour after the game that Jack Sparrow must be out to get him- the two miniatures decided to play _White Tiles 4: Don't Tap the White Tile_ which is also on Larry's Kindle; Octavius won that game without any problems on his part. Jedediah was too trigger-happy on the game, not waiting to see what color the tile was before pressing either his hand or boot against the screen of the Kindle. His trigger-happy nature caused him to lose-though not by much- with thirty-five points separating him and Octavius. Next on their video game schedule was _Crazy Taxi_ \- something Octavius and Jedediah both knew that Jedediah would triumph in. Come on, it has the word _crazy_ in the name. Who in his or her right mind would _ever_ associate or suggest that Octavius and crazy go together in any shape, form, or fashion. So, it was no surprise when Jedediah won by _a lot_ of points; he drove the virtual taxi crazier than the title implied. Octavius is sure glad Jed doesn't drive their _actual_ car like that; the general is sure he would puke if the cowboy was to do that.

The battle only got fiercer after that. _Pac-Man_ and _Wipeout_ came next, thanks to Hannah downloading both of them on her phone for the two miniature men to play. She, unlike Larry, does not mind taking up storage on her electronic devices for the museum's inhabitants to enjoy themselves. After all, Ahkmenrah has his own playlist of about one-hundred and fifty songs on Hannah's IPod; the young Egyptian Pharaoh _loves_ music. Anytime Hannah catches him with the IPod, she can't help but smile; Ahkmenrah's adorable dance moves always follow after at the latest the first verse of the song. Hannah's going to have to get him to teach her how to dance one day… Her own skills are not very good; she always thinks she looks weird dancing. Ahkmenrah can even make misinterpreted or incorrect dance steps look adorable; Hannah knows she does not possess that talent. (Her younger sister, by four-and-a-half years, named Madison can dance like nobody's business.) Anyway, back to the video game war. Octavius went on a two game win streak, much to Jedediah's disappointment and disbelief. The blonde cowboy muttered under his breath about how it looks like he "may have to do what Octavius says after this and listen to Toga Boy's bragging". However, this is not entirely true; Octavius is no longer ahead by three points. Jedediah catches up to where he is only one point behind by going on a two point run of his own; winning at _Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011_ and _Kinect Sports: Ultimate Edition._ Being one of the best gunslingers of the American West helped Jedediah secure his victory in _Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011_ against Octavius. He was able to figure out how to switch between the rifle and the shotgun for the different type of game on the screen, whether it be deer, water buffalo, mountain lions, or geese of some sort. Of course, with it being a game on the Xbox, Jedediah and Octavius required some assistance, so they drew names out of a hat. Jedediah was paired up with Hannah, who had a distinct advantage since she has been playing the Cabela games since she was about eight or nine years old. Meanwhile, Octavius and Sacagawea were on a team; Sacagawea wanted to be as much help as she could, but the Shoshone woman has never played Xbox before, so it took her a few rounds to remember where all of the buttons were for when Octavius told her to press a certain button. By then it was too late; Jedediah had already solidified his win for the hunting game, much like he expected.

 _Kinect Sports: Ultimate Edition_ was a different story. Neither Octavius nor Jedediah could be seen on the Kinect's sensor, so again teams had to be formed. Jedediah now had Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah on his team, with Octavius having Hannah and Teddy on his team. Both were evenly matched. Sacagawea won the darts tournament easily; Hannah won all the bowling tournaments due to her experience being on her high school's bowling team. Ahkmenrah was amazing on boxing, much to everyone's surprise.

"Man, Ahkmenrah, remind me never to get on your bad side, pardner," Jedediah whispered to the Pharaoh after the boxing was finished.

"It was essential I learned how to secure my own safety and how to defend myself," Ahkmenrah replies nonchalantly, making everyone stare at him with open mouths.

Afterwards, Teddy also surprised everyone with the fact that he beat everyone in the track and field event. Jedediah, Sacagawea, and Ahkmenrah ended up winning; they got an extra point thanks to Ahkmenrah's extraordinary boxing skills. Now comes the final game, _Injustice: Gods Among Us._ Hannah is now helping Octavius and Teddy is on Jedediah's team.

"All righty, who shall I be? Hmm…." Jedediah ponders, having Teddy flip through the character list for the fourth time.

"Just pick someone, Jedediah! I _do_ have to pick my character before sunrise," Octavius remarks with a smirk.

"Aw, hush your mouth! I'm pickin', Mr. Impatient," Jedediah says, waving a hand to dismiss Octavius' statement. "I'll be….. The Joker! Yeah, that sounds like me," he decides, which makes Teddy let out a sigh since he has been scrolling through the characters for the past five minutes.

"That it does," Octavius whispers to Hannah and Sacagawea, making both women laugh. "I shall be Superman, since he has a red cape like a Roman general!" he announces, which makes Jedediah and Ahkmenrah chuckle now.

"Prepare to lose, Ockie."

"You'll never beat us, Jedediah. _We're_ going to beat _you."_

"In your little Roman dreams!"

"We shall see about that, my friend!"

The fight begins and both miniatures are jumping on a few attack buttons while giving Teddy and Hannah instructions on which direction to move the character in.

"Stop kicking me with your Joker's long legs!" Octavius yells, attempting to get Superman to jump over the Joker, but to no avail.

"No! You stop slammin' me against the brick wall, then!" Jedediah argues, continuing to make The Joker kick Superman whenever the superhero tries to stand up.

"All's fair in war, Jedediah," Octavius assures, which makes Jedediah scoff.

"Yeah, maybe in your era, pardner! Here we fight to win!" Jedediah continues before making The Joker do a backflip.

The fights between Superman and The Joker rage on for thirty more minutes with Jedediah and Teddy winning a total of fifteen to Octavius and Hannah winning fourteen.

"HA! I win, Ockie! And you lose!" Jedediah cheers, jumping down from the Xbox controller to do a little victory dance on the coffee table.

"I've won plenty of other games tonight, Jedediah. Besides, I believe I will have the best overall score for the night," Octavius confidently says as he jumps down beside Jedediah before straightening his helmet.

"Actually, you guys are tied," Hannah brings up, looking at the tally sheet Ahkmenrah has been keeping.

"What?"

"Are ya kiddin' us?"

"She's not kidding," Teddy remarks, looking at the score sheet as well.

"You both received five points for the night," Ahkmenrah announces, showing the two miniatures the final score.

"Well done! You both did really well," Sacagawea congratulates.

"Good game, Jedediah," Octavius smiles, holding out his hand for Jedediah.

"Ya weren't so bad yourself, pardner," Jedediah grins back, grabbing Octavius' elbow and shaking his hand like older century men do.

"So, I guess neither of us have bragging rights or get to boss the other around," the Roman sighs, sitting down on top of a small book on the coffee table.

"Guess not. But, that's kinda good," Jedediah admits, sitting down beside Octavius.

"And why is that, Jedediah?"

"I didn't think of nothin' to boss ya around with, Ockie."

"Neither did I, my friend. Neither did I."

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 3! Sorry for not updating Monday, but this was a longer chapter, so it required more time to write. Plus, I have been getting ready to go on vacation with my family; we leave Sunday and then will be back Wednesday. So, I've been really busy with that and have summer work to do for school! Oh, and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; I really enjoyed writing it. So, I hope to hear from you girls and guys through a review with what you thought. Thanks for your support!**

 _P.S. I know that the Xbox Kinect and some of the games I mentioned were not released until much later than after the original Night at the Museum. For this story's purposes, none of that matters. Hey, it_ _ **is**_ _FanFiction; I can make_ _ **anything**_ _happen! :)_


	4. Apologies and Memories

**Chapter 4**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OC characters; all the others belong to 20** **th** **Century Fox and Shawn Levy. I still would give Jedediah and Octavius their own show….. and Ahkmenrah would get way more scenes…. Anyway, onto the story!**

The night is calm, peaceful even, an hour after the sun has set in New York for the night. So far no one has gotten into any disputes, Dexter hasn't stolen Larry's keys, and the lions haven't tried to eat any of the miniatures like they tried to once before. Some of Jedediah and Octavius' men almost got eaten by the lion pride one time, which was enough for Larry to lock up the lion and three lionesses for a week- much to the disapproval of Hannah, Ahkmenrah, and Teddy. Anyway, back to tonight. Jedediah and Octavius are currently riding in their red and blue miniature car, pulling Rexy's bone behind them as they circle around the lobby of the museum. A few days ago, Octavius had discovered they have a small speaker in their car, so the two best friends are now listening to "Life Is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts as Jedediah roughly turns a corner to avoid Attila and Columbus who are engaged in their weekly soccer match.

" _Life is a highway!"_ Octavius loudly sings before realizing how loud his voice is. "Sorry, Jedediah. I didn't realize how loud I was singing," the Roman apologizes, which Jedediah just laughs at.

"Ockie, ya don't have to 'pologize for singin' loud, pardner. Besides, that's the only way to sing," Jedediah laughs before singing the next line of the chorus himself. _"I wanna ride it all night long!"_ the cowboy yells, drawing out the word long like in the song.

He turns the wheel of their miniature car to where he pulls them to a stop near Rexy's pedestal. The two friends sit in the car for a few minutes, just listening to the rest of the song, much to Rexy's disappointment. The T-Rex begins to softly tap the side of the car with his nose, but neither Jedediah nor Octavius notices the motion. Both are too caught up in singing their new favorite song that Hannah introduced them to two weeks ago.

 _"_ _If you're going my way,"_ Octavius sings before stopping, not wanting to use bad grammar like the next lyric of the song does.

He would save those parts for Jedediah to sing; it is how the cowboy speaks in real life, after all.

 _"_ _I wanna drive it all night long!_ " Jedediah continues before pointing his index finger towards Octavius as a way of telling the Roman the next line was his to take.

" _Through all these cities and all these towns, it's in my blood and it's all around,"_ the Roman general continues, allowing his voice to get louder, which makes Jedediah whoop along with the music and serve as approval for his best friend to finally let loose and get excited about something once in a while.

The blonde still believes that Octavius is just a bit too serious even when it's just the two of them hanging out and exploring the museum. Jedediah is all for picking up the next line of the song when a thumping sound echoes on the glass and Jedediah rolls down his window like he's seen in the cop movies he and Octavius have watched to see none other than Larry standing near their car.

"Do you guys have any idea what a traffic jam you're causing?" Larry asks, mostly directing the question towards Jedediah since Octavius isn't driving the car at the current moment.

"And what might that be, Larry?" Octavius inquires, not sure how he and Jedediah can be doing anything wrong while being in a stationary position near the edge of Rexy's display.

"Yeah, Gigantor. And what are ya? Some kinda cop or somethin'?" Jedediah adds in with a smirk on his face as he teases Larry.

"Well, with keeping Rexy unoccupied by making him stand in the middle of the room, Attila and Columbus can't continue their soccer game. They've had to move their game near the part of the room I keep open for pedestrians, which means Teddy and Sacagawea are having to walk the long way around just to get to the Eastern Wing of the museum," Larry rambles, which makes Jedediah roll his eyes in annoyance in the direction of Octavius where the night guard cannot see his obvious gesture of annoyance.

"We're very sorry, my liege," Octavius apologizes quickly, just wanting Larry to walk away from the car where himself and Jedediah can get back to singing "Life Is a Highway" and then figure out their plans for the night from there.

" 'Sides, Gigantor, we're finished entertainin' Rexy for the night. We just need someone to remove the bone from the back of the car for us," Jedediah adds in, hoping not to anger the night guard.

 _"_ _Me an' Ockie get blamed for everything,"_ Jedediah muses in his head, not sure of why that is, exactly.

Just then, Hannah and Ahkmenrah walk up from the hallway adjacent to the main lobby and make their way towards the two miniatures and the disgruntled night guard.

"What seems to be the problem, my friends?" Ahkmenrah politely asks, leaning down to where his eyes are even with the front of the car.

"We're tired of pullin' Rexy's bone and wanna wander around the museum for the night, but we need someone to take the bone offa the string," Jedediah announces to the Pharaoh while giving Ahkmenrah a fist bump.

"Really? That's all you guys need?" Hannah inquires with a slight look of scorn in her blue eyes aimed at Larry. "Larry, all you have to do is untie the string," she says with a scoff, leaning down on her knees to unhook Rexy's rib bone from Octavius and Jedediah's car.

"Thank you, Hannah," Octavius kindly says, sticking his head out the miniature car's passenger window.

"Thank ya kindly, Hannah," Jedediah agrees, shooting the college student a thumbs up through the driver's window.

"No problem, Octavius and Jedediah; anytime you need help, come find me," Hannah answers the two miniatures as she starts to stand up from the floor as Ahkmenrah extends his hand to help her up. "Problem solved, Larry," Hannah continues, calling Rexy over to re-attach the Tyrannosaurus Rex's rib to his skeleton.

Rexy makes a barking-like noise at Hannah before nuzzling her with his face and crouching down to let her climb onto his back. The nineteen-year-old settles down on top of the blanket Ahkmenrah keeps hidden in his tomb for just such an occasion. Hannah then extends a hand down to Ahkmenrah, helping her Pharaoh boyfriend onto the T-Rex; Ahk settles into a comfortable position behind Hannah, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Now what is Rexy supposed to do for the rest of the night?" Larry inquires, wiping his hands over his face like he does when he's frustrated.

"Don't worry about it, Guardian of Brooklyn. Hannah and I will ensure that Rexy doesn't cause any damage around the museum," Ahkmenrah says with one of his dazzling smiles before kicking his sandaled feet against Rexy's sides to urge the T-Rex forward as the massive beast lets out an ear-piercing roar like the one in Jurassic Park.

"Jed and Octavius," Larry starts to say, only to see that the miniature car is gone from sight. "Where'd you guys go?"

The night guard looks around in confusion before shrugging his shoulders while telling Columbus that he and the Huns could return to the center of the room.

Meanwhile, Jedediah has kicked the car into high gear, racing down the hallway towards the window with Octavius still riding shotgun like usual. "Life Is a Highway" is back to where it is blaring on the small speaker and both Jedediah and Octavius start to sing along once more.

 _"_ _There's no load that I can't hold,"_ Jedediah sings, casting a sidelong glance at Octavius as if to brag to the Roman general about his strength.

Octavius, not fazed by the cowboy's gloating takes the next line and fills the car with his voice: _"The road's so rough."_

 _"_ _This I know_ ," the two men sing together, both of their minds flashing back to the night they first became friends, the night they nearly died in their Hummer…..

" _I'll be there when the light comes in!"_ Octavius sings loudly, knowing that he and Jedediah can survive whatever the world throws at them- it also is in their favorite song, which is kind of ironic in the Roman's mind.

 _"_ _Just tell 'em we're survivors!"_ Jedediah belts out, also thinking that as long as he and Octavius had each other's back, they could conquer the world- metaphorically speaking, at least.

With this line, Jedediah parks the car near the baseboard closest to the window before he turns the car's ignition off.

"Jedediah! Why did you turn off Rascal Flatts?" Octavius questions in a rather childish tone, which makes Jedediah smirk and laugh hysterically at the Roman's rather undignified voice.

" 'Cause, pardner, I figured we could sit near the window and look out at the stars," Jedediah answers while opening the driver door and stepping out onto the tiled museum floor.

"Oh," Octavius says quietly, placing his helmet on his head as Jedediah grabs his prized Stetson from the car's center console. "Well, that sounds like quite the idea, my friend. We have not had a chance to look at the stars since we were out of the museum while trying to get Ahkmenrah's tablet back," he grins at his best friend's idea, shutting the door behind him while making sure his cape is not in the way.

"Thought you'd like the idea, boy," Jedediah smiles back, starting the climb up to the windowsill.

Fortunately, it's a low window, so both Octavius and Jedediah can climb up without much trouble to either miniature. Sometimes the smallest tasks to a full-sized human, such as climbing stairs, can seem like such a huge challenge to the three-inch tall miniatures- not that Jedediah or Octavius would _ever_ mention that to _anyone._ When Octavius and Jedediah climb onto the windowsill, both sit down on the stone ledge and look out at the world outside of the museum. Octavius soon takes off his helmet, determining that no one could steal it from here, not even Dexter. Besides, it would be very uncomfortable to stargaze with a metal helmet on if Octavius decides to lie down after a few minutes of sitting on the stone.

"It's a beautiful night out there," Octavius speaks up, craning his neck just a bit to try and look for any familiar constellations in the night sky.

"It sure is, boy. All the stars and the moon…. That's one of the things I miss most 'bout being alive outside of the museum," Jedediah admits, looking down at his black boots.

"You—You remember your past life, too?" the Roman asks in a shocked tone, which makes Jedediah turn to look at his best friend with confusion in his blue eyes.

"Ya—ya mean—It's not normal ta remember stuff from our pasts?" the blonde cowboy inquires, not sure why he and Octavius are just now admitting they still know snippets of their old lives when they were way over three inches tall.

"Not that I am aware of, no. I think that Teddy, Sacagawea, Ahkmenrah, you, and myself are some of the only ones in the whole museum who actually remember our pasts," Octavius answers his best friend's question to the best of his knowledge.

"Wow. And to think, I thought I was the only one," Jedediah mumbles under his breath, even though he knows Octavius hears him anyway.

"You're not alone, my friend. So, do you care to elaborate on why the night sky is one of the things you miss most?"

"Ya promise not to laugh, Ockie?"

"I would never laugh at you, Jedediah. You know that," Octavius assures, lying on his back while looking out the window to gaze at Ursa Major in the New York sky.

This close to the museum, there are few lights, making the miniature men able to actually _see_ some stars at night, unlike the rest of New Yorkers.

"Well, at night my men and I would camp under the stars while we were through trekkin' through the Wild West for the day. I used ta look at the stars and think of a few of the constellations my old man taught me before I moved out on my own," Jedediah admits, a soft laugh escaping his lips at the memory. "It kinda helped me stay true to my roots, ya know?" he continues, casting a glance over at Octavius to gauge the general's reaction.

"That I do. It makes perfect sense to me, Jedediah. I was the same way when I was off at war. I would look at the moon every night before I slept," Octavius agrees with a smile before stopping mid-sentence. "Now you have to promise not to laugh," the Roman insists, a smirk on his face.

"These lips are sealed," Jed chuckles, pretending to zip his lips and throw away the key.

"I used to talk to the moon and pretend it was those I had left back at home in Rome."

"Who did ya leave back in Rome, Ockie? Tell me."

"That is a story for another night, I'm afraid," Octavius says, his face clouding over with emotion.

"All right, pardner. It's your call. And, when you tell me your story, I'll tell you mine," Jedediah concedes, not wanting to pressure Octavius into anything that the Roman doesn't want to do.

Then, Jedediah does something that Octavius never expected the cowboy would ever do in a million years. Jed scoots closer to Octavius and squeezes the Roman's arms in encouragement, acknowledging that they both have lost something in their pasts that neither wants to bring up right now. And to Octavius, that gesture alone is worth more than a thousand words that could come out of the cowboy's mouth. That gesture symbolizes that they are past having to always have words to agree with one another; they just _know_ from the actions of each other and expressions the other wears.

The two sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Jedediah having scooted back over a few inches from Octavius before lying on his back as well. His blue eyes wander the sky in front of him as he lets his mind roam as well to different subjects the cowboy's thoughts drift to. It's Octavius who breaks the silence between them.

"Jedediah?" his voice is soft, but contains the same regal, proper tone it always does.

"Yeah, pardner?" comes the response, which is in such a low tone that Octavius wonders if Jedediah had fallen asleep looking at the stars.

"I don't know why I haven't said this before, my friend, but…" Octavius starts off, which makes the blonde turn over to face him. "I'm sorry, Jedediah."

"You're sorry?" Jedediah asks in a confused tone, not sure what Octavius is talking about. "What in the heck do you have to be sorry about, Octavius?" he continues, his blue eyes watching Octavius' every move.

"I did all those bad things to you until a year and a half ago," the general sighs, closing his brown eyes as he remembers their rocky past before uniting to save the museum. "We basically had a fifty-two and a half years' war!" Octavius says with a little chuckle in his statement.

"Shoot, Ockie. I did my equal share in bad things on you and the other Romans in your diorama. 'Course we hated one another; we were always tryin' to one up one another," Jedediah admits, not wanting the Roman soldier to feel bad about their troubled past with one another. " 'Sides, that's water under the bridge by now," he says with a smile, making Octavius feel better about the situation.

"Do you remember that one time when you and your men invaded my diorama on Halloween that one year?" Octavius laughs, which makes Jedediah snort in laughter as he remembers that action-filled night.

"Aw yeah, boy! Don't I remember it! We threw so much toilet paper in your display that those mean ol' night guards locked us both up for the next three nights," the cowboy grins, remembering his Halloween prank on the great Roman Empire.

"And, if my memory serves me correctly, I do believe you threw eggs around our city and in some of my men's faces," Octavius remarks with a deadpan expression on his face but laughter in his eyes.

"I had forgotten 'bout that! It pays to have lots o' chickens in your diorama for a time like that," Jedediah laughs, his blue eyes containing their usual mischief and laughter. "Didn't I hit you in the face with an egg, Ockie?"

"I believe you did, my friend. It took hours to wash it off of my face, helmet, and armor."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Octavius. Hey, do ya remember that time when you thought me and my men were from….. Uh—Car—Car- Now I can't think of the dumb name ya used!"

"Carthage?" Octavius helpfully supplies, his mind reaching as far back as the memory is.

"Yeah, Carthage! What in the heck is Carthage and why did ya think it was us, boy?" Jedediah agrees before becoming confused once more.

"Carthage was our biggest rival when the Roman Empire was young, Jedediah. They tried to kill off all of our men and expand into our territory under the rule of Hannibal," Octavius begins to explain, which makes Jedediah prop himself up on one elbow to listen further to the Roman's war story. "So, when you and your men decided to fight us night after night, we figured you were just the Carthaginians in disguise," he says with a laugh.

"Ha! That's funny, Ockie. Those crazy road lizards sound like a real piece of work. Nah, we just fought with ya 'cause we thought you were gonna take over _our_ territory. I had heard stories of people in red comin' and takin' American land," Jedediah reveals, which makes both men burst out into hysterical laughter at the confusion.

"So, what you're saying is if we had stated our fears all those years ago, we could have been friends this whole time?" Octavius inquires as he realizes this fact from his and Jedediah's conversation.

"Sounds like it to me, kemosabe. And, just think of all the trouble we coulda gotten into in all those years!" Jedediah states with a dangerous look on his face that Octavius always assumes means the cowboy is planning some sort of scheme for the two of them to complete in the next few nights.

"Enough to drive the rest of the museum insane, I'm sure," the Roman admits, looking back up at the stars and wondering if he would ever get to see those he left behind in Rome again.

 _Maybe….. One day…._ Octavius pushes all such thoughts from his head as he realizes even with Ahkmenrah's tablet, people from the Roman civilization wouldn't just appear out of nowhere.

"Hey, lemme tell ya somethin', Toga Boy," Jedediah remarks, snapping Octavius out of his trance.

"Hmm?" Octavius hums, not knowing where this conversation is going.

"You 'pologized for all the stuff you and your soldiers did to me. Well, now it's my turn," Jed starts off, holding his black Stetson in one hand while scratching the top of his head, his mop of blonde hair totally revealed in the moonlight. "Sorry we were such jerks to ya before, Ockie. I'm glad we're on good terms now, amigo," he smiles, standing up slowly as he hears Rexy roaring in the distance.

"I forgive you, my friend," Octavius grins before coming up with an idea. "First one to the car gets to drive for the rest of the night?"

"You're on, pardner."

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 4! So, I was able to get this chapter up on time even with changing the plot line for this chapter like three times. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; I had a lot of fun writing it, especially when they are singing in the car. (Oh, and for those of you who think there is no possible way their car could have a speaker…. They live in a museum where everything comes to life! I'm sure their tiny car can have a tiny speaker.) The Carthage part comes from the preview I saw of the Night at the Museum book I'm thinking of buying to see if there's more Jedediah and Octavius scenes I could use as reference. (And because Ahkmenrah may get more parts, too and I need to read more canon character development for the three of them.) I'm also watching that new show on the History Channel called** ** _Barbarians Rising_** **about the Roman Empire fighting all of its enemies. So… Hope everyone enjoyed; please leave a review with your thoughts. Thanks again for all your support!**


	5. Car Accident

**Chapter 5**

 **Disclaimer: I still only own any OCs in the story.**

The night starts off very peacefully in the museum as it has for the past month it seems. Jedediah and Octavius are cruising in their car with the Roman general driving the car this time. Octavius has come along quite well in his driving lessons, so Jedediah is allowing the general to drive the car tonight to prove and show how much he's learned. Currently, Octavius is driving the car towards the hall where Attila and his Hun companions are on display during the day.

"Turn right up here, Ockie," Jed instructs, his blue eyes noticing the zebras running down the hallway towards their current path from the left.

"Okay. Hold on, Jedediah," Octavius instructs, not wanting the sharp turn to throw his friend from their red and blue car and onto the hard tile floor with the Huns conducting battle practice not too far away.

"I'm holdin' on, boy. Just make the turn 'fore we become part o' the pavement," Jedediah jokes, which makes Octavius take a two second break from having both hands on the wheel to hit Jedediah's arm.

"That is not funny, my friend. You know what almost happened with Dexter not long ago," Octavius sternly says, which makes Jedediah fall silent for a few seconds, realizing that he shouldn't joke about situations that put his and Ockie's lives in danger.

"Sorry, Ockie. I didn't mean ta make it seem like we were goin' to be pavement," Jedediah apologizes, looking out of the window to not have to look at Octavius' most likely disappointed face.

"It okay, Jedediah. Just, for future reference, don't joke about our near-death experiences while I am driving," the Roman instructs, his eyes practically glued to the hallway as he looks for any dangerous obstacles. "Or any time, for that matter."

"Gotcha, kemosabe. Now, where do ya want to go next?" Jedediah remarks with a salute, which makes a small smile appear on Octavius' face.

"I wish to drive to visit Sacagawea and Teddy in the room where Sacagawea normally resides."

"Sounds good to me. Well, you know the way, Ockie. Take us there."

With that, Octavius turns the car down the next hallway and starts to travel down towards Sacagawea's display room, wanting to get himself and Jedediah into the room before Attila and his men run down the hallway as part of their cardio exercise. Whatever that means for museum exhibits…..

About halfway to Sacagawea's normal location when she and Teddy aren't riding Texas around the museum, the miniature car begins to make a sound that sounds like a cat hacking up a hairball.

"That didn't sound good." Octavius remarks, fear evident on his face as he drives the car at a slower pace when the noise begins.

"Pull over," Jedediah calmly instructs, knowing if he starts to panic, so will Octavius.

The cowboy knows far more about cars than does the Roman, so he knows if he is thinking that something is wrong with the car, so will Octavius. That is not something that Jedediah wants to happen; Octavius is already so high-strung and doesn't like trying new things all that often. Though, to give Jedediah credit, he has gotten the Roman to try many new activities and come out of the metaphorical shell the darker-haired man has put himself in all these years. If Jedediah tells Octavius something is wrong with the car, Octavius would never drive their car again. Even worse, Jedediah starts to think if anything goes wrong with the car Octavius will refuse to even _ride_ in the car, even if Jed is the one driving. Then who would ride shotgun and get into mischief with Jedediah? The cowboy realizes he's been silent for longer than he intended and that Octavius has pulled the car over to the side of the hallway. Currently, the Roman general is staring over at Jedediah, as if waiting for some further instruction from the cowboy. Now, normally, Octavius can be cool under pressure- he has led armies into battle, keep in mind- but when he can do nothing to change the situation or is not knowledgeable about the current problem, he can get quite worked up and panics like a pack of wild dogs is after him. One day Jedediah vows to get to the bottom of why Octavius is so nervous about situations he can't control with his own two hands.

"Jedediah, what is the matter with the car?" Octavius' voice questions softly, his brown eyes filled with almost every emotion possible except happiness and confidence.

"Something smells like burnt rubber," Jedediah announces, beginning to open the passenger side door while sniffing the air.

"I don't think we should be smelling that." Octavius remarks, swallowing the lump that forms in his throat as he thinks of all the possible disasters that could strike him and his best friend while inside the car.

"No, we shouldn't. You stay here, and I'll check it out," Jedediah says, his voice barely over a whisper.

The cowboy curses in his head, knowing that by whispering he did nothing to restore Octavius' confidence or assuage the Roman's fears about the current situation.

"Jedediah, please be careful, my friend," Octavius softly commands the blonde cowboy, being brave enough to sneak a peek at the situation through his window.

"I will, Ockie. Don't worry 'bout me," Jedediah calls out, his voice now retaining its usual confidence and bravado that Octavius is used to.

The cowboy squats down in front of the car, ready to see exactly what the problem is.

"All righty. What have we got here?" he mumbles to himself, trying his best to find the problem as quickly as possible where Octavius does not have to wait in suspense any longer than necessary.

To be honest, Jedediah is starting to get a little worried himself- not that he would ever admit it- and he hopes the car will remain in good enough shape to at least get them the rest of the way to wherever Teddy and Sacagawea are at this precise moment. If their car truly _is_ having problems, Jedediah knows that Teddy and Sacagawea will give him and Octavius a ride back to the Hall of Miniatures before sunrise. Normally, Hannah would be glad to complete that task as well, but since she has two college classes tomorrow, the nineteen-year-old is at her dorm room getting a much-deserved and needed rest after spending all of last night at the museum watching movies with the exhibits since it was Saturday. Now, Jedediah and Octavius still have movie night on Fridays while watching movies on Larry's laptop or Kindle Fire, but Hannah brings three movies on Saturdays to show the museum's inhabitants. Last night she brought _Marmaduke-_ who was voiced by someone who sounded a lot like Jedediah to all the exhibits and Hannah- _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,_ at the request of Sacagawea and Teddy alike, and _Bedtime Stories_ with Adam Sandler, which made all those watching laugh at how Adam Sandler's character did not believe that the fantasies from his niece and nephews bedtime stories were coming true. Ahkmenrah even made the comment "Imagine what he'd do if he ever came to the museum and saw my magic tablet." Everyone in attendance in the Security Office got a good laugh out of that comment for at least three minutes.

All of these thoughts and more float around in Octavius' and Jedediah's minds alike, both men wondering what is wrong with their car and why it had to happen when the two of them were in it. Jedediah now lies down on the floor on his back before sliding under the car like he's seen the mechanics in some of the movies he and Octavius watch on Friday nights. The cowboy looks all under the car, searching for anything that may be causing the unusual noise that is coming from the miniature car. Seeing nothing, Jedediah slides back from under the car, seeing nothing out of the ordinary from the underside. He then scratches his head in confusion, muttering under his breath, not sure what is wrong with the car and why it would sound like that.

"Then why in the heck is it actin' haywire all the sudden?" Jedediah mumbles to himself, his blue eyes housing confusion as he climbs back into the passenger seat.

"Did you find anything wrong with the car, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires, hoping Jedediah was able to fix whatever ailment the car has or will assure that there was never anything wrong with the car to begin with.

"No, pardner. I didn't find not a single thing wrong with the car. It's a mystery, I'll tell ya," Jed answers, placing his black Stetson back on the car's middle console.

"So, should I continue driving until we get to Lady Sacagawea's room?" Octavius questions aloud, wondering what his best friend- and museum exhibit car expert- thinks is best for him to do.

"Um-"Jedediah starts before catching sight of something terrifying in the side mirror. "Drive, boy, drive! We're gonna have to outrun 'im!" he yells, seeing the threat running even closer to their car and, more importantly, them.

"Oh, my-!" Octavius shouts out, fear evident on his face and in his brown eyes. "Jupiter, protect us!" the Roman calls out, quickly switching the car into drive before speeding away from near the wall.

"Ockie, you gotta give it more gas, pardner! We're gonna need all the power we can get!" the blonde instructs, sticking his head out of the window while gripping the leather seat so harshly with his hands that if not for his gloves, Jedediah's hands would turn red.

"Are they really _that_ fast?" Octavius asks in a breathless tone, knowing that his and Jedediah's lives depend on his navigation and driving skills.

True, their car can outrun Rexy, but only when Jedediah gets a head start on the T-Rex. Miniature cars were not made to outrun much of anything, but anything is possible in the museum.

Octavius steps harder on the gas, his sandals offering as much resistance to the extra power as they can, trying to get the Roman general to slow down. As he reaches sixty miles an hour, Octavius hears a deafening pop to his right.

"Jedediah, what was that?"

"I don't know, Ockie. Just hold on, boy!"

That's when the back right tire bursts from under them, which sends a burst of air through the small car, flinging Jedediah into the passenger door and Octavius onto the dashboard. Both men lie there for a minute, both catching their breath as they lie there in silence.

"Are you all right, Jedediah?" Octavius questions, doing his best to look over the seat at his best friend without making too sudden of a movement.

The Roman knows that the slightest movement may set off another explosion on the tire and eject them both from the car and injure them during the fall or they would be trampled by some of the larger exhibits who wouldn't notice them on the floor of the museum.

"I'm right as rain, boy," Jedediah comments, and Octavius is sure to tuck away that phrase for later in case the cowboy decides to bring it up again. There are still so many phrases the cowboy uses that Octavius still does not yet understand…. "How are you, Octavius?" Jedediah inquires in true concern.

Octavius realizes that Jedediah uses his full name instead of just "Ockie" or "Toga Boy" when the cowboy is either concerned for his best friend's well-being or is apologizing for something he did to the Roman.

"I—I think I'm all right, my friend. But, we need to get out of here." Octavius assures, looking around in confusion as he tries to find their threat and see if the two of them can get out of the car safely.

That's when something crashes into the side of the red and blue car, making a puncture mark in the car only a few millimeters from Octavius' left leg. The Roman general and the cowboy both begin to shout in a terrified way, neither wanting to become impaled by the beast that is targeting them.

"Octavius, you need ta crawl down from the dashboard, boy," Jedediah calmly instructs, not wanting to see the general killed in front of his own eyes. "Up there you're a sittin' duck," he says, which does not do anything to calm Octavius' racing mind.

"I can't, Jedediah. I'll fall and the beast will impale me!" Octavius yells in a nervous tone, his mind flashing back to all the battles he fought in Rome; the beast's horn instantly becomes all of the swords and spears of the Roman battlefield in Octavius' mind.

"Ockie, listen to me," Jedediah starts off, looking over at his best friend. "Listen to me," he tries again, his voice nice and even as if he's speaking to a child. "You're gonna have to jump, Octavius. Don't worry 'bout a thing," Jedediah continues, extending a hand towards Octavius as the cowboy sits up in the passenger seat and Octavius begins to sit up on the dashboard. "I'll catch you if you fall."

"Okay, I'm coming, Jedediah. I trust you, my friend!" Octavius yells, jumping as the car shakes violently as the beast hits at the side of the car once more.

Jedediah catches Octavius by the Roman general's gauntlets, keeping Octavius from falling face-first onto the floor of the car. The cowboy then steadies his best friend, looking over the older man to make sure the Roman didn't get any lacerations or puncture wounds anywhere.

"I told you I would catch you," he whispers, trying to crack a smile but failing as the car's roof collapses as the beast crushes its weight on the small car.

"And I'm glad you did, my friend, but now we need to get the door opened!" Octavius shouts, doing his best to tug at the door handle, Jedediah at his side trying the same.

"The darn thing's stuck!"

"I don't know what else to do, Jedediah! Do you have a plan?"

The Roman general never gets an answer as the beast rams its hard head against the side of the car, shaking both Jedediah and Octavius completely.

The sheer force of the beast's hit rattles everything inside the hallway, flipping the miniature car and the two miniatures through the air at high speeds. Though both considered proud and mighty warriors in their own right, Octavius and Jedediah let out blood-curdling screams as their car nears the ground. Gravity picks up on the car's airborne motion and desires to bring them down to the ground again; the car hurtles back towards the ground at an alarming speed. _CRASH!_ The car pounds against the ground, landing on the top as the yellow Hummer did about two years ago, flooding memories back to each man's mind. Only, this time they weren't in the relatively soft snow. They weren't drawn back to the museum by the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. This time, they were being _attacked_ by a vicious beast with a horn; that hadn't happened last time. The force of the blow sets the car on fire, yet another similarity to their first night as friends. If their lives weren't in serious danger, Octavius would have laughed at the irony and the sense of déjà vu he was getting right now. But, he can't. He won't. Too much is at stake. Too much could be lost on one wrong move. Too much could go wrong and he couldn't do anything about it. He was virtually powerless.

"Ockie," Jedediah softly starts, his voice becoming audible in Octavius' ears once more as the ringing in the Roman's ears begins to die down. "Octavius!" he tries again, the cowboy's voice louder this time as he conveys urgency. "The crash got the door open; come on!" Jedediah shouts, tasting the blood in his mouth due to a split lip caused by the fall.

"I can't, Jedediah. My foot's stuck under something!" Octavius calls out, tugging uselessly as he tries to escape the miniature car with his life and Jedediah's still intact.

The crash comes again, crushing the car closer and closer to the ground, threatening to crush both Octavius and Jedediah against the ground if they don't move, and soon.

"Try to get closer to the door, Octavius. I'll pull you out," Jedediah promises, extending the same hand towards the Roman general who he considers his best friend in the world.

"I think it's stuck under the seat. My foot's caught under the seat!"

"It's all right, Octavius. Stay calm. I'll get ya out."

Another crash reverberates throughout the car. This time, the car crashes to where it is just three inches above the ground. Just enough space for Jedediah and Octavius to escape out of… Another scream from Octavius is heard as the seat crunches down further on his feet, restricting blood flow to his limbs.

"Save yourself!" Octavius yells to Jedediah as the car plummets another inch, leaving very little wiggle room for any miniature to escape.

"I ain't quittin' you!" Jedediah shouts back even with flames lapping at his legs, which makes Octavius smile.

Jedediah smiles back at Octavius, glad to know his words have at least some comfort in them.

"We're Jedediah and Octavius. We'll stay together 'til the end, boy. Don't quit on me," Jedediah calmly says, trying his best to get Octavius' feet unstuck from under the seat. " 'Cause I won't quit on you!" he yells in triumph, having gotten one of the Roman's feet free from the seat.

"You don't have that choice!" Octavius shouts at the last second, pushing Jedediah out of the passenger side door and onto the hard, unforgiving tile that is the museum floor.

"Octavius, why did you do that?"

"I won't risk your life to save mine! I've lost more people I've cared about that way. I won't lose you, too, my friend!"

Octavius manages to get his foot unstuck in one last final yank, but the beast outside the car bellows once more and slams its giant foot down on the car, slamming Octavius against the ground and flinging Jedediah backwards until the cowboy hits a column and blacks out from the impact. The last thing the blonde hears is Octavius screaming out in pain from under the weight of the car and the agitated animal.

 _"_ _No,"_ the cowboy whispers.

The world gets black soon after this statement.

Both Octavius and Jedediah remain unconscious for about ten minutes apiece before one of them wakes up, his mind spinning like crazy and his body aching completely.

 **"** _What happened? Where are we?"_ Jedediah wonders inside his own mind, sitting up only to feel a sharp pain shooting down his arm, the one he fell on when…..

 _Octavius pushed me. Then that means…. Oh, no!_

"Octavius!" Jedediah shouts, jumping to his feet, ignoring the shot of dizziness consuming his head at the current moment.

Their miniature car is all charred, having burned away in the fire that has consumed it. Oil from the car and ash from the fire cover the ground all around the car and even stains Jedediah's clothes from his head to his toe. Somehow, Jed's famous Stetson still remains upright on his head, the black leather even darker due to the ash that's stained it. Looking down at his boots, Jedediah sees a piece of familiar armor lying on the ground not more than two steps ahead of him: Octavius' helmet.

"NO!" Jedediah yells, his blue eyes filled with concern, worry, and even a hint of guilt. "Octavius!" the cowboy shouts, sliding down to his knees near the car to search for the Roman general he has come to call his best friend and partner in crime.

No answer comes to Jed's ears and he starts to get the horrible thought that Octavius has already burned in the car and will no longer be able to wake up at night again. He may have reverted back to plastic, never to come back to life again….

"Ockie!" Jedediah calls out in desperation, throwing himself closer to the car, starting to heave upwards on the miniature car. He sees a pair of tiny sandaled feet sticking out from the driver's side of the car, and a slight rush of relief passes over him. "Octavius!" he tries again, crawling into the car himself, ignoring the squeaks and moans the car makes.

Jedediah was going to get Octavius out of that burning car, even if he had to die himself to save the Roman. After all, if it wasn't for Octavius pushing him out of the door, Jedediah himself would still be in that car, lying on his back much like Octavius, still unconscious and not able to save anybody.

"Ockie! I'm coming for ya." Jedediah announces, grabbing the unconscious man's hands and attempting to pull him out of the car while not burning either of them any more in the process.

The blood drips from Jedediah's split lip into his mouth, though the blonde bites back any remark he usually would have let flow right out of his mouth. None of that matters now. All that matters is Octavius' life and trying to tug the Roman out of a burning car is no easy task. Jedediah is able to pull Octavius over the console in the middle of the car, which makes Octavius groan slightly as his ribs and legs are dragged over the rough leather seat. Jedediah takes this as a sign that Octavius can still be saved, so he hurries his efforts of trying to rescue the Roman. He would not lose a friend today if he was still alive to try and save him.

With one last movement, Jedediah is able to fall backwards onto the tile, cushioning the blow to Octavius' limp form as the unconscious soldier falls from the car. Jedediah instantly starts to try and wake his best friend.

"Ockie!" he screams as loud as he can, hoping someone will hear him.

Octavius does not answer; he remains limp on the floor where Jedediah has laid him, using the Stetson as a bit of a headrest for the unconscious man. Panic starts to flow through Jedediah at a million miles a minute.

"Ockie?" Jedediah whispers in alarm, noticing Octavius' slightly burnt face for the first time.

The cowboy makes quick work of cleaning all the ash and oil off of Octavius' face with the red bandanna that Jed always wears around his neck. It comes in handy for once.

While cleaning off the oil and ash, Jedediah notices blood streaming down the left side of Octavius' face from left to right, staining his pale skin crimson. Jed soon finds the source of this blood; a thick cut running across about half Octavius' forehead, making the blonde gasp and his blue eyes fill with tears.

"Ockie?!" Jedediah cries in desperation, pressing the bandana onto Octavius' head injury, doing his best to stop the blood from flowing out of Octavius' head.

Again no answer comes to the cowboy's ears and he starts to fear for the worse.

"Octavius, you have to get up. We need ta get you some help, kemosabe," Jedediah softly speaks, tapping on Octavius' arm and face in hopes of waking him up.

If there's one thing that Jedediah knows Octavius cannot stand, it's when Jed taps Octavius on either the face or the arms. Octavius hates that; it annoys him to pieces and he complains of germs being spread that way. Who knew that the great Gaius Octavius would be a germaphobe? Even this does not work; Octavius still does not stir and it really is starting to freak Jedediah out. He doesn't want to lose Octavius in this way; heck, he doesn't want to lose his best friend at all. They've come too far in the past year and a half, evolving from enemies to friends in the span of one night. And every night since then for almost the past two years has been an adventure… For all that to end…. Jedediah doesn't think he'd be able to handle it.

One more attempt to wake Octavius fails when Jed shakes the other man's shoulders harshly, trying to get him to come back into consciousness.

"OCTAVIUS!" Jedediah screams his lungs out, doing his best to resuscitate his friend using the techniques he and his men learned in the West. When no answer is heard once again, Jedediah completely loses it. "Don't go dyin' now!" he yells as a command, pressing his hands roughly against Octavius' armored chest. ( _At least the dumb armor had enough protection to keep Ockie from burning while I was unconscious._ )

Jedediah begins to cry, not bothering to keep his tears restricted to his eyes any more. Tears drip down from his blue eyes, down his nose, and onto Octavius' face and chest armor as Jedediah begins to whisper about how it wasn't fair and how Octavius has never done anything to deserve this.

"No," Jedediah whispers, pulling the bandana back from Octavius' face to see that the bleeding has stopped. The cowboy then wets the bandana with the small canteen of water he keeps on his person before attempting to wipe the matted blood out of Octavius' dark brown hair. "NO, NO, NO, NO!" he yells, slamming his fists against the tiled floor of the museum. The physical pain is nothing compared to that which Jedediah's brain and heart are feeling. "Don't you quit on me, boy!" Jedediah shouts at Octavius, even though the Roman cannot hear anything in his unconscious state. "Do ya hear me, Octavius?! I don't care if you're a Roman general; you're going to listen to me!" Jed cries, tears dripping down and landing on Octavius' wrist and arm. "You can't die like this, all right! It ain't fair if ya do! Now, you're gonna wake up tonight and we're gonna take it easy for the next few nights," Jedediah commands, silently hoping that Octavius can at least hear part of this. "Please, pardner. Don't leave me like this. You're the best friend I've got."

With that, Jedediah bows his head as he waits for help to arrive, sunrise to come, or for Octavius to wake up, whatever comes first.

The voices around Jedediah's head are not audible at first, and he doesn't quite know who is speaking.

"Can we chance moving him?" Teddy's voice breaks through Jedediah's breakdown and the blonde looks up in hope.

He sees Sacagawea, Teddy, and Ahkmenrah standing around him and Octavius, concern and tears on all of their faces. Help! That's all Jedediah can register at the moment; his brain is still trying to catch up with the rest of him.

"YES! Please, chance it!" comes Jedediah's yell of response, which makes the three larger museum exhibits flinch in surprise at the volume and intensity of Jedediah's voice.

"Jedediah, I will do everything in my power to help Octavius," Sacagawea smiles at the cowboy as she gently picks Octavius up from beside Jedediah.

Ahkmenrah leans down to offer Jedediah his palm to ride on to the Security Office where Larry is most likely to be found. "Did you do any life-saving techniques to try and wake him up?" the young Pharaoh inquires, which makes Jedediah wipe his nose while looking over at Octavius' crumpled form.

"Yeah. I did some CPR on his chest. Just pressin' on his chest, though. I didn't do like the girl lifeguards do in beach movies," he smirks, which makes Ahkmenrah laugh.

"I would assume you did not. That was very brave of you to go back into the burning car after him, Jedediah," Ahkmenrah smiles at Jedediah, invoking a sense of pride and honor in Jedediah.

"Octavius once risked his life to save me. I couldn't call myself his friend if I weren't willing to do the same," Jedediah answers back, thinking back to how when the Hummer crashed while trying to retrieve Ahkmenrah's tablet that it was Octavius who saved him. Now that they're in the museum, their roles have changed; Octavius is now the one who is unconscious and Jedediah is the one who had to drag him out of the burning car.

"That's a wise answer, Jedediah. I know Octavius is glad and happy to have a best friend like you," Ahkmenrah answers with wisdom, making Teddy smile as he thinks of the young Pharaoh in a way a father thinks of his son.

"Indeed. You did a noble task, Jedediah. Thanks to your bravery and intelligence, I am sure Sacagawea will be able to revive Octavius in no time," Teddy assures, falling in step with Ahkmenrah.

"It will be no problem, Jedediah. I am sure it was simply the excitement and smoke that caused him to pass out," Sacagawea softly remarks, gently moving Octavius into her other hand, careful not to drop him in the process. "You did an excellent job cleaning his head injury, by the way."

Jedediah breathes a sigh of relief at the Shoshone woman's assurance, happy that he did everything right for Octavius.

Once in the Security Office, the five museum exhibits- or four since Octavius is still passed out- are greeted with the sight of both Hannah and Larry.

"Hannah, I thought you were at your dorm sleeping, my lady," Teddy remarks in confusion upon seeing the college student standing with a concerned look on her face as Sacagawea gently lies Octavius down on the table.

"I was," Hannah answers back before being cut off by Ahkmenrah.

"I called her, Teddy. I knew with her training in college to be in the medical field that Hannah would have necessary skills to assist Sacagawea if necessary," Ahkmenrah smiles over at his girlfriend, glad that she dropped everything in order to come to the museum and help Octavius and possibly Jedediah as well.

"Well done, my Pharaoh. Good thinking, lad. Hannah, we are glad to have your valuable services in our company tonight," Teddy grins, happy that Sacagawea and Hannah should be able to provide the miniatures with all the medical assistance either could need.

Jedediah mumbles something under his breath that none of the others can quite hear.

"What was that, Jed?" Larry inquires, moving over to sit on the security office couch with Teddy and Ahkmenrah.

"I said all of this is my fault! If I had just helped Octavius out of the car when I had the chance, he would be okay!" Jedediah yells, his emotions being worked up again as he watches Hannah and Sacagawea start to evaluate Octavius' condition.

"Jedediah…" Sacagawea starts to say in order to soothe the cowboy and help him feel better about the current situation.

"No! Don't start, Sacagawea! Nothin' ya can say will make me feel better 'bout this! I was the one who insisted that Ockie drove the car tonight," Jedediah admits, hanging his head while looking over at Octavius, hoping the Roman would be okay and wake up soon. "And 'cause of my insistin', Octavius took the main impact from the crash. It shoulda been _me! It was my idea, not his!"_ Jedediah cries, blocking his face and eyes with his Stetson, not wanting the others to see him crying and vulnerable.

"Jedediah, please!" Teddy begs over the cowboy's breakdown, wanting Jedediah to calm down where Hannah and Sacagawea can work on helping Octavius in peace and where Jedediah can come to terms with the situation. "These are emotional times for all of us. We're all very upset that Octavius was injured tonight, and for that we are very saddened and feel terrible. But you wallowing in self-pity isn't going to do anything nor will it change anything! So, if you would please not blame yourself for this unfortunate event, I would appreciate it," Teddy roughly says to get his point across, again using his father-like tone. "Do I make myself clear, Jedediah?"

"Yes, Teddy. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Sacagawea," Jedediah apologizes, looking up at the Shoshone woman with apologetic eyes and an "I'm sorry" expression on his face.

"It's quite all right, Jedediah. Now, I think Octavius should wake up soon," Sacagawea smiles, bending down to give Jedediah an encouraging hug.

"Just don't go too hard on him, Jedediah. He's going to be a little disoriented at first, and no doubt he'll probably be sore for a few nights," Hannah explains, to which Jed mouths "Thank you" before giving her a hug as well.

"Thank ya both. I can't imagine someone better than the two of ya takin' care of Octavius while he's hurt," Jedediah smiles, sitting down beside Octavius, holding the Roman's helmet in one hand.

"You're welcome. Now, I suppose you are wanting to keep watch over him tonight until he wakes up?" Hannah inquires with a knowing face, her and Sacagawea being the only two who realize that Jedediah actually called Octavius by his full name and not one of his assorted nicknames.

"I would. Gotta make sure Octavius knows I'm okay 'cept for a few scratches on my arm and a small burn on ma leg," Jed remarks with a knowing grin before winking at the two women as he realizes they noticed the change in his speech.

"I'll shut the door where the noise doesn't disturb him," Sacagawea tells the cowboy, ushering Ahkmenrah, Teddy, and Larry out of the Security Office where Octavius will not be completely overwhelmed when he wakes up later in the night.

Content with his best friend's relative safety and treatment, Jedediah takes his post near Octavius, waiting for the moment that the general will awaken for the second time tonight.

When fifteen minutes have passed, a small yellow light passes in under the door, but Jedediah does not realize it at the time. The light travels up the table where the two miniatures are resting; Octavius remains lying on his back and Jedediah is still sitting down. However, unbeknownst to the cowboy, the golden light that usually wakes the exhibits up for the night has traveled into the room and is pouring into Octavius' chest. The Roman takes a silent breath, keeping his eyes closed due to the intense pounding in his head.

"Come on," Jedediah whispers, looking first at Octavius (whose brown eyes are still closed to try and cope through the pain) before covering his own blue eyes with his hands and then placing his hands along the back of his neck. "Wake up, Octavius. Please wake up soon."

Octavius peeks open his brown eyes, looking over to see his friend with his back facing him, head in his hands and a sigh escaping the cowboy's lips. The Roman general tries to speak up to comfort his friend, but his voice eludes him at the moment, mostly due to the force of the collision having knocked him out for about an hour. So, all he can do is sit and watch Jedediah look totally miserable, something that Octavius is not at all familiar with seeing; the cowboy is usually all happy, energetic, and bouncing off the walls. The famous general sits there in silence, hoping if he sits up for a while that his voice will eventually return to its usual strength and overall confidence. He can't very well command a troop of men or talk with his friends if his voice never comes back or if he overuses it like Jedediah accuses him of quite a lot.

"All right. Here we go, Ockie," Jedediah breathes as he starts to get the deep stuff off of his chest that he wouldn't dare admit when he thought Octavius or the others could hear him. "Here we go. Listen," he continues, turning to face Octavius, which makes Octavius quickly shut his eyes to avoid being discovered just yet. "You… You with all your stupid rules!" the cowboy shouts out, making Octavius flinch slightly. "They're always there to govern everything we do, Octavius. As much as I complain against 'em, they really do keep us safe. Man, I wish we had some of 'em tonight. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten ya hurt then, Ockie," Jedediah quietly whispers, and Octavius feels his eyes getting wet at the sentiments his best friend is pouring out. "And you're constantly saving me with that protective nature and father-like speeches ya show and give for all of us in the museum," Jedediah says, his voice barely over a whisper.

With that, Jedediah turns back to face away from Octavius, allowing the Roman to open his eyes without fear of being caught by his best friend.

"Come on!" Jedediah shouts into the air, making Octavius cry slightly at the concern and guilt Jedediah is feeling. "Come on! Come on," Jedediah says next, his voice switching to desperation on the last set of 'come on'.

Octavius swallows once and decides that it's now or never to see if he can work up enough energy to talk without feeling overly drained. Besides, he feels as if Jedediah has suffered enough tonight, both mentally and physically.

"Jedediah…." Octavius begins to speak slowly, working up his voice as it comes out a little more than a rasp with the first word.

"Octavius!" Jedediah shouts, moving to tackle his best friend before remembering that Hannah and Sacagawea told him to take it easy on the general while he is still recovering. "I am so glad you're alive! I mean- I'm glad you're awake now," he excitedly says before changing into a nonchalant tone that he uses around most people.

Very rarely does he use that tone around Octavius, so the Roman knows that it is because Jedediah is concerned and still feels guilty that they almost died tonight. Checking their tire and gas situation has always been Jedediah's job, so the cowboy no doubt feels absolutely miserable and completely guilty that the tire popped during their adventure tonight.

"I had a dream," Octavius announces to Jedediah, which makes the cowboy's expression switch to one of curiosity.

"Really? And what was it about, pardner?" Jedediah questions, scooting over to sit right next to his best friend, all the while rejoicing that Octavius didn't get seriously injured or even die in the car accident.

"You were worried about me, Jedediah," the Roman general reveals with a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Repeatedly," he adds in, which makes Jedediah throw a hand forward to brush off the comment.

"Me? That's pretty weird, huh?" the cowboy jokes, trying to pass off that he wasn't concerned for if Octavius would survive tonight.

"No. It makes sense," Octavius chuckles, which makes Jedediah laugh as well.

"Yeah," he guffaws, which makes Octavius know for certain that Jedediah _was indeed_ concerned for their safety.

"Thank you, my friend," Octavius comments, which makes Jedediah a little bit confused.

"For what, Ockie?" Jedediah questions, not sure what Octavius could be referring to.

"You pulled me out of the burning car when you could have died. And, I heard all of those things that you said while I was unconscious. They were very noble and I am so glad I have acquired you as my best friend."

"Yeah. I was just worried, 'cause I know it's my job to make sure the car is safe 'n all 'fore we get in it. And—you could really hear all that I said?"

"Every last word," Octavius assures, smiling at the cowboy in appreciation. "Now, do you want to tell me what exactly happened that made us crash and make me get a wound on my forehead?"

"I thought ya'd never ask, kemosabe," Jedediah grins before beginning to dive into the tale of their adventure tonight.

"Jedediah, please do not embellish the tale like you normally do," Octavius jokes, knowing very well of the American cowboy's tendency to embellish the truth or a simple story from the American Wild West folk lore he both lived and grew up hearing when they were alive the first time.

"I won't. Now, hush yer mouth; it's story time," Jedediah smirks, which leads to Octavius, the well-disciplined solder he is, to stick his tongue out at Jedediah much like brothers and sisters do to one another. "So, there we were, near the room where Sacagawea, Lewis, and Clark live. I'm sure ya remember that part."

"Yes. It seems to be in my memory."

"Well, you and I heard this weird noise comin' from the car, so I hopped out and decided to check it out," Jedediah begins, which Octavius nods in agreement to; he remembers at least that part. "I didn't find nothin' so I hopped back into the seat 'side ya and that's when we saw it. The mighty beast that Hannah and Teddy call a rhinoceros- or rhino for short- charged at us and you kicked it into drive," the cowboy continues to narrate, trailing off at the end which makes Octavius jump into the conversation.

"Then, if I remember correctly, this rhino slammed into the car and almost impaled me with its long horn. You tried to get the door open and finally succeed; my legs were stuck and you tried to help me, but I pushed you out," Octavius continues on with the tale, pausing to look at Jedediah. "That is all I remember before I blacked out, my friend."

"All righty, I'll take back over. Well, ya passed out; I did, too, and I woke up to see the roof 'a the car on fire. I knew you were still in it, so I ran over and found your helmet lyin' on the ground. I knew I had ta save ya, so I crawled back into the burning car and pulled ya out. Then when I got ya out, I saw your face was burned and had oil on it, so I wiped it off with my bandana," Jedediah continues before taking a bit of a breather between heroic acts.

"So that's what that cloth against my forehead was," Octavius remarks, his brown eyes landing on Jedediah's signature red bandana lying on the table across from them, still covered in ash and oil.

"Yep. Then as I was cleanin' your forehead, I noticed that you were bleedin' from a cut on your forehead where your helmet norm'ly covers. I cleaned that sucker up with some water from my canteen and fought to bring you back."

"Did I imagine it, or were you trying to give me CPR?"

Jedediah hides his face behind his Stetson; he had feared that question would come up.

"Yeah, but just on the chest. Why? Did I not do it right or somethin', Toga Boy?" Jed challenges with a humorous tone in his voice.

"No, no. You performed CPR well, my friend, but it might have been easier if you had taken my chest armor off," Octavius remarks, which makes Jedediah do a face palm.

"Oh, right. Probably woulda made that much easier. Well, at least I tried," Jedediah comments, slightly embarrassed by his actions previously in the night.

"Yes, you did. I'm very glad you tried to save my life," Octavius says with gratitude as he does his popular Roman salute.

"Well, you're my best friend. If I hadn't have saved ya, I never would have forgiven myself," Jedediah explains, which makes Octavius nod his head.

"I would do the same for you, my friend."

"Glad to hear that, Ockie."

The two friends sit in comfortable silence for a few moments, both content with knowing the other is safe and not in harm's way at the current moment.

Later on, Octavius breaks the silence between them, realizing that there is still an unknown amount of time left in the night.

"Well, the rest of tonight is going to be pretty boring since I can't really move," he says with a sigh, looking over at Jedediah. "Sorry for hindering your night of fun with my injuries."

"Hey, it won't be bad," Jedediah insists. "I'll stay up with you; we can play a game like 20 Questions or somethin' like that that you would enjoy."

"All night? You'll stay up with me in this boring room all night?" Octavius inquires, shocked by his best friend's statement that he would give up a night of freedom to sit by his wounded friend's side.

"All night long," Jedediah assures, pulling up a box of tissues for them to use as a back pillow.

"Jedediah, I'm glad you're my-"Octavius begins, only to be frozen as the sun comes up much sooner than expected.

With that, both miniatures know they will have to continue their conversation the next night. Hannah comes in and carries Octavius and Jedediah back to their dioramas, making sure they would be back in the Security Office to continue their conversation tonight. They would both still have the injuries of tonight's near-death experience, but at least Larry would not have to explain anything to Dr. McPhee as the injuries are too small for any of the museum patrons to ever notice. Even the control freak Dr. McPhee would not notice the damage to Octavius and Jedediah, especially since Hannah would not point out the injuries sustained to her favorite miniatures in the museum like she does if she doesn't remember any damage being told to her the night before. So, with all of the museum exhibits back in their normal positions, the Museum of Natural History is ready to open as soon as business hours begin. And, with the end of the day would bring sunset and the conclusion of Octavius and Jedediah's conversation.

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 5, my dear readers! I know; I got it up early this week. I promised you a longer chapter, so here it is! Yes, I know, I hurt Octavius and Jedediah (Mostly Octavius), but I felt like it would provide an interesting hurt/comfort chapter for the both of them. Plus, it was a great action sequence in my mind. I picture it being somewhat similar to the T-Rex scene in the original** ** _Jurassic Park_** **movie, which I watched last night just because I felt like it and had just written this chapter. And, don't get the wrong idea, I love Octavius and Jedediah; the two of them and Ahkmenrah are my three favorite characters from the entire movie series! So, if anyone has any predictions for what Octavius is going to say- keep in mind there is no slash here because I don't view them like that!- drop your guesses in the review box. Until Chapter 6, my amazing readers!**


	6. Brothers and Get Well Parties

**Chapter 6**

 **Disclaimer: Only the OCs are mine. The rest of these amazing characters belong to Shawn Levy and 20** **th** **Century Fox.**

The last anyone in the museum has seen of Octavius and Jedediah was right after Octavius had been injured in the car accident caused by the museum's rhino. Such miniatures in question were last seen in the Security Office by Teddy, Sacagawea, Ahkmenrah, Hannah, and Larry when Octavius was still unconscious due to the shock and the smoke that filled his lungs from the burning car. Hannah had checked back in on Jedediah and Octavius as the sun was rising; the two leaders seemed to be in the middle of a conversation when the sun was coming up if Octavius' open mouth and Jedediah actually looking like he was listening for a change meant anything. About the only people the cowboy _actually_ listens to are Hannah, Octavius, Sacagawea, Teddy, and Ahkmenrah. (Not necessarily in that order, though. It varies who Jedediah decided he wants to listen to on any given night.) The conversation Octavius and Jedediah were in the middle of plays in the two miniatures' heads all day long during the museum's business hours. Octavius keeps refreshing his memory on all of which he hopes to tell Jedediah tonight since the sunrise had been so rude in interrupting the Roman's conversation with his best friend in the whole museum, maybe even in the whole world.

 _"_ _Jedediah, I'm glad you're my-"_ Octavius had begun, only to be frozen as the sun comes up much sooner than expected. " _Wonder what Ockie was gonna tell me,"_ Jedediah muses in his head all day long, trying to come up with what the Roman could have to say. _"Ally? Friend? Best friend?"_ the blonde cowboy continues to think as museum patrons continue to swarm into the Hall of Miniatures.

Many children, most on tours for school since it's Monday, talk excitedly upon reaching the diorama room. All of them flock over to either the Wild West diorama or the Roman diorama, eager to see the top attractions in the Hall of Miniatures. The children point and yell out random facts about either civilization, making Jedediah happy and proud to be in a museum. If it was night and he could move, the blonde cowboy would be smiling about how much the schoolkids ranging from seventh graders to third graders know about him and Octavius. Well, maybe they didn't know as much about him and Octavius as _individual people,_ but Jed has to hand it to the kids; they are all very knowledgeable about the American Wild West and Ancient Rome.

 _"_ _Oh, well. I'll figure out what Octavius wanted to tell me after the sun sets tonight,"_ Jedediah determines, deciding to slip into what can only be described as the museum exhibits form of sleep.

The famous cowboy shuts out all external noise and soon his mind wanders into a dream world, picturing all of the new adventures he and Octavius still have to have. After all, there's a whole side of the museum they've yet to explore every nook and cranny of. Sure, they've explored the general area of this side of the museum- no pun intended- but they haven't explored the _secret_ places in the museum. Octavius and Jedediah refer to places as being "secret" when only miniatures would be able to explore these areas. For example, air vents, loose parts of tiles, and even between some of the museum's fake trees that are in some exhibits are all considered to be secret. Basically, if it's a place that a normal sized human or any museum exhibit cannot fit in, Jedediah and Octavius categorize it as secret. Thus, there are still many more places for the duo of friends to explore.

On the other side of Jedediah and the rest of the Wild West's people, Octavius stands with his sword held high up in the air. The metal glints in the light of the museum and if any of the soldiers under Octavius' command were awake, they would complain of the glare from the sword being aimed towards their eyes. Hannah had put Octavius' sword in the general's hand after carrying him and Jedediah down to the Hall of Miniatures after sunrise. She had hoped that with the sword in place no one would notice how burned and hurt Octavius truly is. Meanwhile, the famous Roman general thinks back to his conversation from last night with Jedediah.

 _"_ _Jedediah, I'm glad you're my-"_ Octavius remembers saying, only to be frozen by the sun as it rose over the museum.

Octavius takes a minute to reflect on the start of the sentence he had posed at the end of last night.

 _"_ _I wonder if Jedediah's trying to decide on what I'm going to finish my sentence with,"_ Octavius muses to himself, laughing in his own mind as he can't physically do so during the day. _"Well, I don't think he'll ever guess what it is I want to say to him,"_ he brags in his head, thinking of how surprised Jedediah will be at the older man's proclamation.

When Octavius begins thinking about it himself, he realizes that proclaiming such a thing to Jedediah tonight may make their friendship awkward, or may even ruin it. He couldn't have that. He couldn't lose his best friend in the whole world by just blurting out something like that.

 _"_ _I can't just suddenly tell Jedediah that. Does he even want me to say I feel like he's part of my family?"_ Octavius worries inside his own mind, thinking of all the different scenarios that could come about if he was to truly admit what he meant to Jedediah. _"Just forget it!"_ he screams inwardly, giving up on how to word the situation to the blonde cowboy. " _I don't know how to explain this to him!"_ the Roman general counts to ten in his head before trying to calm down. _"Maybe he'll think it's an honor for me to consider him as such,"_ he decides in his head and it puts his mind at ease.

With that, Octavius allows his body to relax slightly and let the sleep-like condition overcome him. He feels a magical energy flowing through him, almost as if it was a potion running through his veins. Octavius isn't exactly sure what this magical energy means; he's never experienced it before, but he's not complaining. This magical energy seems to relieve some of the pain from last night's car accident and Octavius' back starts to hurt less and he feels his face getting a bit cooler as the day drags on.

When the Tablet of Ahkmenrah breathes life into all of the museum exhibits that night, Jedediah and Octavius are in the exact same positions Hannah found them in the night before. True to her silent promise, she had put both miniature men on the table, both of them propped up on the tissue box like last night. Sharp inhales come from both Octavius and Jedediah as they breathe in the cool night air.

"Good evening, my friend," Octavius greets, managing a smile as he looks over to see Jedediah sitting to his left.

" Evenin', Ockie. Now, I've been doin' some thinkin' 'bout what you wanna tell me," Jedediah smiles, turning to face Octavius with a fire in his light blue eyes.

"Oh, have you now? I always put that skill past you," Octavius grins, which makes Jedediah's jaw drop at Octavius' comment.

"Was that a joke?" Jedediah asks in a mock hurt tone, which makes Octavius' grin switch to a disappointed and slightly guilty face.

"I didn't mean to insult you, Jedediah. I was merely…." the general starts before being cut off by the cowboy.

"That was a joke, Octavius!" Jedediah laughs, which makes a light chuckle escape Octavius' lips as well.

"Yes, Jedediah. I suppose it was."

"One of your first jokes, Ockie! I knew ya had some humor in ya somewhere, kemosabe!"

"Yes, I do. I told you that it would come out at an appropriate time," Octavius smiles, high-fiving Jedediah in the process.

"That was a nice joke, Octavius. I'm gonna have to remember that one," Jedediah laughs before readjusting his Stetson on his head. "So, what were ya gonna tell me last night?" he excitedly asks, bouncing up and down on his feet like an excited colt.

"Well-" Octavius starts before being cut off by the blonde cowboy.

"Oh, let me guess!" Jedediah yells out.

"All right," is his merited response from the older man as Octavius looks over at him with a smirk on his lips. "You're not going to guess correctly, Jedediah."

"You wish! You were gonna say _Jedediah, I'm glad you're my best friend,"_ the blonde guesses, imitating Octavius to the best of his ability which makes the two men laugh hysterically like they do when watching funny cat videos.

"That was a good impression of me, my friend. But, you have to pronounce your name in a more proper tone of voice," Octavius laughs, pausing to wipe tears from his brown eyes as a result of laughing so hard.

"I'll remember that for next time, boy," Jedediah howls with laughter at his well-executed impersonation of Octavius, also having to wipe tears from his blue eyes from laughing so hard. "Did I get your answer right, though? Huh? Did I? Did I?" he continues and with each 'Did I?' he pokes Octavius' shoulder, which makes Octavius grab Jedediah's hand harshly before dropping it in mid-air as a warning for the cowboy not to do that again.

"No, you did not," Octavius says in an 'I told you so' tone before continuing. "And, Jedediah, how many times must I tell you not to poke me?" he asks with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Sorry, pardner. I keep forgettin' 'bout your fear o' germs," Jedediah simply smiles before retracting his hand and then getting back to the matter at hand. "So, since ya weren't gonna say best friend, what were ya gonna say?" he inquires with an adorable puzzled look on his face.

Octavius clears his throat before beginning to reveal what he wants to say to the other man.

"Jedediah, I know we haven't been on good terms very long because of our long war and past animosities toward one another," Octavius begins, looking Jedediah in the eyes as he starts to make his proclamation.

"Ockie, is this another one of your long speeches? 'Cause ya can just cut to the chase and that'll be fine with me," Jedediah questions with a slight groan, knowing how wordy the Roman general can get when making big speeches.

"Silence," Octavius commands before returning to the speech at hand, rolling his brown eyes at Jedediah's lack of attention and listening skills. "You're not only my best friend, Jedediah Smith of the American frontier," he smiles, getting ready to admit something to the cowboy.

"Then what am I, Octavius?" Jedediah questions in confusion, not sure what Octavius means by that. He didn't think anything was over best friend… Turns out he's wrong.

"You're also my brother," the general finishes, a large smile on his face as he admits his feelings to Jedediah.

"Wha- I'm your what?" Jedediah breathes, not being able to believe what Octavius just said.

"You are my brother, Jedediah. If not by blood, then at least in spirit," Octavius grins before asking Jedediah a question. "Do you feel the same way, Jedediah? I'm sorry if I have made you uncomfortable, my friend," Octavius apologizes quickly, moving to hide his face behind his helmet.

"Now, why in tarnation do ya think that, Octavius?" Jedediah demands, though a smile is present on his face as well. "I'd love ta be considered your brother, Octavius. I always knew we had a deep bond after becomin' friends," Jed assures the Roman and claps him over the back.

"I'm glad you are this accepting, my friend. I worried about how you would take my proclamation. I wasn't sure if any people in your culture or time period referred to his or her friend as a brother or a sister if they weren't related," Octavius begins to ramble. "I know in Rome it is a proud tradition, going back generations!" he remarks, sweeping his arms in a grand gesture before an ache spreads up and down his muscles due to the sudden movement.

"Ockie, careful now. Ya know you're still recovering from yesterday's accident. Slow it down, pardner," Jedediah softly says, helping Octavius settle back into a comfortable position without hurting himself. "Yeah, we had some o' our people claim to be brothers in arms or whatever. But, I never found someone ta be mine, until you started bein' my friend, Ockie."

"I am glad to hear that, Jedediah, my brother. Like I said, I was not sure if the idea would transcend the barriers of both time and culture."

" That's 'nough o' your big, fancy words, Octavius. I think I hear somebody outside," Jedediah says, pulling his guns out of their holsters as a precaution. He doesn't want to take chances with Octavius being injured that his new brother gets harmed by anything that could come through that door.

The door to the Security Office creaks open and Jedediah does his best to load his guns before the attacker can reach them.

A dark shadow creeps in through the door before speaking to the two men.

"Calm down, Jedediah. It's just us," Ahkmenrah calmly says, stepping aside to reveal Sacagawea, Teddy, Attila, Hannah, Dexter, and Kumari- the museum's resident tigress and Ahkmenrah's best animal companion.

"Put your guns away, Jedediah," Octavius manages to say between laughter, his face getting redder by the second.

"I suppose ya thought that was funny, didn't ya?" Jedediah asks Octavius as he sits down next to the Roman, slipping his guns back into their proper holsters.

"It was hilarious," Octavius deadpans, earning him a light smack on the arm from Jedediah. (The cowboy is sure to mind his best friend's injuries, though.)

"We have come to throw Octavius a get well party," Sacagawea announces, moving over to the miniatures before pressing a gentle kiss to both men's forehead.

"That is very nice of you all. So, what exactly are we going to do tonight?" Octavius perks up, blushing slightly after Sacagawea kisses his forehead.

"Well, we're not going to do anything too strenuous since you're both still injured in your own way," Hannah brings up, walking over to check on Jedediah and Octavius' injuries from last night. "Jedediah, you look mostly healed. All that's left is a small burn on your leg," she comments before changing her eyes' direction to look at Octavius' injuries. "Octavius, your face seems to be a lot better tonight. It looks like all the soot has cleared off and the cut you had on your forehead is mostly gone. Your face is still a little burnt, but that will get better soon," Hannah assures before asking a question to both the men. "How did you guys heal so fast?"

"Whatever do you mean, Lady Hannah?"

"Yeah, is that weird or unnatural o' somethin'?"

"I can answer your question, my love," Ahkmenrah smiles, coming up behind Hannah and wrapping his arms around her waist. "My tablet helps to heal all of us during the day. The more harmful the injury, the longer it takes to heal. Jedediah and Octavius should be back to normal by tomorrow, but no later than Wednesday night," the young Pharaoh remarks, proud he could throw his knowledge about the tablet out there for everyone to know and learn.

Attila begins to speak in his native Mongolian language and Ahkmenrah soon translates what the Hun warrior is saying.

"Attila says he would like to play some games," Ahkmenrah announces, nodding in the Hun's direction.

"Well, I think there are still some in the closet," Hannah tells the museum exhibits, heading for the Security Office closet. "Teddy, do you mind helping me get the games out?"

"I would have no complaints, lass. We shall endeavor to defeat the monster that Larry has made out of the closet," Teddy smiles, knowing very well of the mess Larry has created in the Security Office closet.

With that, the President throws open the door to the closet, dodging all of the falling objects as best as he can.

After fifteen minutes of battling with the closet and picking up all of the fallen objects, Hannah and Teddy manage to secure three games out of the closet to play during Octavius' get well party.

"So, what rousing game would you like to play first, General?" Teddy asks, showing Octavius the three different game suggestions.

"Well, they all look to be quite entertaining. However, I shall go with Battleship, that seems like it will be a fun game," Octavius decides, an adorable yet challenging look on his face as if to say 'Try and beat me' to anyone who would dare to challenge him.

"I call first game!" Jedediah yells, hopping up on top of a phonebook where he can reach the game and position his ships.

"You're on, Jedediah! Expect no mercy from me, my friend!" Octavius confidently says, climbing on top of the tissue box with a little help from Sacagawea as his arm is still a little sore and can't move to its normal full extent.

"I don't need no charity from ya, Ockie! Now, stop your yakkin' and place your ships on the board!" Jedediah responds with his usual bravado, taunting Octavius by sticking his tongue at the Roman. "Bring it, Toga Boy."

All those present can't help but laugh at Octavius' and Jedediah's competitive natures. Even Dexter and Kumari manage a laugh, even though both of them are animals; Kumari's laugh is her chuffing, which is the call tigers use to communicate with one another or warn humans of boundaries that should be respected. The orange tigress walks over with Ahkmenrah as the Pharaoh settles on the couch near Hannah to watch Jedediah and Octavius compete in Battleship. Kumari then settles down at Ahkmenrah's feet, much like the cat Ahkmenrah had when he was a mere boy of seven used to do; the only difference is that Kumari is a deadly predator and is considerably larger than an average domestic cat. However, none of that stops Ahkmenrah from treating the tigress like his pet; the young Egyptian king has trained Kumari to where she follows Egyptian commands- even though tigers are native to Asia, she understands Egyptian- and the tigress will not attack anyone in the museum. Kumari also will dutifully follow Hannah since the young college student is Ahkmenrah's girlfriend, but Kumari has yet to respond to all directions given to her in English. Ahkmenrah extends a hand down to pet Kumari's head, leading to loud purrs escaping the tigress' mouth as her human companion strokes along the bridge of her head.

"D7," Octavius calls out, deciding he gets to go first since the party is being held in honor of him.

"Dang it! That's one of ma ships, Octavius! How did you find her on the first turn?" Jedediah whines, ripping the ship off of the board and placing a red peg in its place.

"You're not supposed to throw the ships, Jedediah," Sacagawea says with a smile, resting her head in the crook of Teddy's neck while watching the two leaders continue their engaging game of Battleship.

"My dear, I think it is best not to anger Jedediah when he is throwing sharp toy ships," Teddy jokes, which makes Jedediah wheel around to face the president.

"I heard that, Teddy Roosevelt!" Jedediah yells harshly, a slight scowl on his face as he stares at the president.

With that, Jedediah turns back around and Octavius can't quite hide the smirk and laugh that appear on his face.

"Great, now ya got Toga Boy in on it, too!" the cowboy complains, sinking down onto the phonebook while hiding his eyes with his black Stetson in shame.

"It is your turn now, Jedediah," Octavius smiles, making Jedediah grin wickedly at the chance of sinking Octavius' battleship.

Games really seem to bring out a savage nature in Jedediah…..

"Uh, I'mma go with A3!" Jedediah confidently says, being so bold and sure of his call that he picks up a red peg to place on the spot.

"Miss," comes the response from the Roman in a nonchalant tone.

"For cryin' out loud!" the cowboy complains, throwing the red peg down and slamming the white peg into the Battleship board.

This was going to be a long game, indeed…..

An hour and a half later, the Battleship tournament has ended. Octavius beat Jedediah mercilessly in their personal game of Battleship, much to Jed's rather loud and harsh complaints. The Roman had to calm his friend and new brother down for fifteen minutes while Teddy and Sacagawea had played their round of the game. Teddy ended up winning between the two of them; Sacagawea didn't really see the purpose of sinking anyone's toy ships, so she called out whatever letter and number combination popped in her head first. Teddy, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. He wanted to beat his love at one thing- Sacagawea can show Teddy up on just about anything, horseback riding included- so he called out letters and numbers with special significance to Sacagawea, knowing the young Shoshone woman would have put thought into her every placement of the plastic ships. She wasn't a sore loser, though, and gave Teddy a quick congratulatory kiss, which caused Jedediah and Ahkmenrah to go "AWWWWW!" until the twenty-sixth President of the United States blushed so fiercely he looked like someone had rubbed red paint all across Teddy's face. Teddy then proceeded to pull his tan hat down over his face before excusing himself to go and check on how the rest of the museum was faring without his and the others' supervision.

"He'll be back," Sacagawea assured everyone in the room with a smile, sitting down on the couch as Dexter hops onto her arm and sits patiently.

Out of everyone in the museum, Dexter listens the most to Sacagawea, with Teddy coming in second, Ahkmenrah tied with Hannah in third, and Attila securing fourth place due to his commanding nature. As for everyone else in the museum, well, let's just say they hope to be on the Capuchin's good side whenever Dexter happens to pass them by.

"I would expect so, since the party was his and Hannah's idea," Ahkmenrah smiles, casting a glance over at Jedediah before winking.

"And we know he could never leave ya all by your lonesome, Sacagawea," Jedediah lightly teases, making Sacagawea crack a smile at the blonde cowboy.

"Jedediah, what have we talked about?" Octavius softly says where he doesn't mess up either Attila or Ahkmenrah's concentration as both men are taking their game of Battleship very seriously.

Ahkmenrah wanted to go against Hannah in Battleship to see if he could beat his girlfriend- sometimes he and Teddy act so similar it's scary- but he quickly realized that he would be the only one who would be able to speak fluent Mongolian with Attila. Sure, he's teaching Hannah some Mongolian where she can understand some of Attila's sentences when Larry has no idea what is going on with the leader of the Huns.

"Not ta make sarcastic and rude comments in front o' other people, 'specially not ladies," Jedediah whispers in an embarrassed tone, not sure why Octavius is calling him out like he's a child in front of their other friends.

"No! How did I lose?!" comes Ahkmenrah's voice suddenly, interrupting the conversation between Sacagawea, Octavius, and Jedediah. "I was doing so well!" the Pharaoh says with a slight pout, standing up from the table before sinking onto the couch and splaying his hand on top of Kumari's back, petting the tigress to diminish the sense of loss he feels at being beaten by Attila in Battleship.

Attila starts to say something in Mongolian, which translates roughly to " _Remember that I am a leader of men, too, Ahkmenrah. I commanded many attacks in my time."_

"Yes, I know, Attila," the young Pharaoh sighs, closing his green eyes as he lies on his back to face the ceiling. "I just wished to win one of these modern games. Everyone always beats me," he continues, a frown on his face.

"That's not true," Hannah tells him, rubbing her right thumb over Ahkmenrah's knuckles. "You win some of the video games or board games we play when I bring all of you some," she says, which makes Ahkmenrah sit up and open his eyes to gaze at her stunning blue eyes.

"Oh, really?" he cutely says, propping his chin up on one hand. "Name one of each and I will believe you, Hannah," Ahkmenrah challenges with his dazzling smile lighting up the room.

"Let's see. You beat all of us in boxing on _Kinect Sports_ and either you or Octavius have won every game of _Monopoly Empire,"_ Hannah answers, a challenging look in her eyes as if to say 'See my point?'.

"Well, if I may be so bold, it may be because Octavius and I both have experience living in an empire," Ahkmenrah smiles as he grabs Hannah's hand in his own, rubbing over her knuckles with his hand. "Plus, if I may continue to be bold, we have been known to keep our empires under control and running smoothly in times of crisis," the Pharaoh winks, which makes Hannah laugh at her ancient Egyptian Pharaoh's joke that still rings with truth.

"I agree with the Pharaoh," Octavius speaks up, grabbing his small glass of hot chocolate and pressing it to his lips. "We do have quite a knack for running empires, even fictional business ones," the general says with a smirk, his brown eyes lighting up.

"It's a game, Ockie! No one has any advantage over anyone else. All right? It's a game based on chance, pardner," Jedediah soon remarks, rolling his blue eyes at the statement of his best friend and Ahkmenrah as well. "And wipe that hot chocolate offa your face, kemosabe. Looks like ya've been eatin' dirt o' somethin'," Jedediah continues, handing Octavius a bit of a napkin he pulled off of the table.

"Thank you for that, Jedediah. That was a very nice way to put it," Octavius sarcastically remarks, grabbing the napkin and wiping his hot chocolate mustache off of his face.

"Any time, Octavius," Jedediah jokes, even though he is very much aware of Octavius' sarcasm.

"Now, what shall we play next?" Ahkmenrah asks in an excited tone, jumping up from the couch and walking over towards the pile of games, Kumari following behind him, her tail swinging in the air.

Sacagawea looks over towards the Pharaoh before pointing out an interesting game that sits on the bottom of the stack. Ahkmenrah nods in agreement before pulling out the board game and walking over to the table.

They start playing _The Game of Life-_ or just _Life-_ for short and it immediately turns into a competition from the very first turn.

"Six!" Jedediah yells out as he finishes spinning the spinner. "I went farther than ya, Ockie," Jed continues to brag, moving his little blue car to the seventh space on the board.

"By one space," Octavius responds in a tone that implies that he couldn't care less about that statement. "Besides, Jedediah, I had a semester in London on my turn and got a Life Token while you had to pay $5,000 for spring break in Florida," the Roman general says with a superior smile, knowing that he saved his fake money while Jedediah has already spent five thousand of his one-hundred and five thousand dollars he received for going to college and starting the game.

"Well, Sacagawea has beaten both of you," Teddy speaks up, watching as Sacagawea moves her orange car onto the 'Stop and Choose a Career' space on the end of the college road. "She is already graduating from college. Well done, my dear," the president congratulates, watching as Hannah fans out the careers for Sacagawea to choose two from the stack.

Sacagawea ends up picking the lawyer career over being a computer designer, since it makes more money and she believes she would be better at it. All the museum exhibits are taking the game seriously, choosing options that they would make in real life for their career paths, which makes Hannah laugh. All five people- Octavius, Jedediah, Ahkmenrah, Teddy and Sacagawea- are trying their best to make the actual game like the lives they would lead outside of the museum walls. Hannah is the next one to finish virtual college and, no surprise, she picks the doctor career which is what she's going to college to major in before going off to medical school. Ahkmenrah reaches college third and decides to be a veterinarian, which frankly shocks mostly everyone in the room. Octavius comes fourth, picking to be an accountant; Teddy follows after and decides to be a teacher, knowing that his firm yet caring nature would make him a great teacher. And, that leaves Jedediah graduating last, as he landed on the 'Study for Final Exams- Miss Next Turn' space right when everyone else was reaching the college graduation space.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me! How could y'all leave me with this junky career?" Jedediah complains, brandishing the computer designer card which makes $50,000 per pay day on the game, which is only a half of Hannah's virtual doctor's salary of $100,000.

"Jedediah, we cannot help that you were the last one to graduate college," Octavius says with a laugh, which causes Jedediah to cover the Roman's face with his metal helmet.

"Everyone's makin' more money than me in this dumb game! I can't come back from this, Ockie!"

"I did nothing, my friend. Besides, you can make up for your less than appealing job somehow."

"And, Jedediah, my job makes ten thousand dollars less than yours and I am quite happy with it," Teddy speaks up, showing his own card to the depressed cowboy to try and get Jedediah to feel better about his fake job as a computer designer.

"That doesn't make me feel better, Teddy. Ya chose that job on purpose. I got stuck with what's left," Jedediah pouts, not even bothering to watch the rest of his friends taking his or her respective turn.

"Drama King," Octavius mumbles under his breath, getting a small handful of popcorn before turning his attention back to the game.

"What did ya say, Octavius?" Jedediah inquires, thinking that Octavius said something, but he couldn't make out exactly what his best friend said.

"I didn't say anything," Octavius innocently says before stuffing a piece of popcorn in his mouth to avoid laughing at the cowboy's question.

"Mm-hmm," Jedediah says in a knowing tone before spinning and moving his car four spaces to a pay day.

The Roman is sure glad that Jedediah didn't hear exactly what he said; that would not be a good thing for Octavius.

About an hour later, the game is only about halfway through due to six people playing makes the game take about twice as long as normal.

"Yes! Twins! I would like ten thousand dollars from everyone," Ahkmenrah happily says, holding out one of his tanned hands to collect money from the five other players.

Sacagawea has to hand a twenty-thousand-dollar bill to Octavius, since the Roman insisted on being the banker, in order to have the right amount to give to the Pharaoh since he didn't have any smaller money to make change. Teddy passes Ahkmenrah two five thousands, which makes the Pharaoh smile happily at the President's "gift". More like he was forced to give Ahkmenrah the ten grand….. Hannah and Octavius both hand Ahkmenrah a ten-thousand-dollar bill before moving back to reorganize their stacks of money according to value. (Both the general and the college student feel the need to organize their respective money stacks by value.) They blame their organization skills they've each possessed since a young age, which no one can argue against Octavius and Hannah having amazing organization skills; the two of them were able to clean up the Security Office in just under two hours. Until Larry had to come and mess it all up again…

"What if I don't want ta pay for your stank kids, Ahk?" Jedediah inquires with a raised eyebrow and a smirk aimed at the Pharaoh.

"Excuse me? Did you just call my children smelly?" Ahkmenrah demands, a serious expression on his face.

"Ahkmenrah, you do realize they are not real children, correct?" Sacagawea gently asks in her motherly tone, just trying to act as a mediator between Ahkmenrah and Jedediah.

"Yes, I do, Sacagawea. However, that does not excuse Jedediah from insulting my prince and princess by speaking bitterly about their scent. And, I do believe he still owes me money," Ahkmenrah answers, smirking a bit at his last sentence.

"Fine! Ahk, your kids ain't stank like I said they were. And here's your money, boy," Jedediah gives in, throwing two five thousands at Ahkmenrah, which the Pharaoh just barely catches since they are made out of paper.

"Wow, Jedediah. Games sure do bring out another side of you," Octavius comments, passing their small bowl of popcorn over to the blonde.

"Yeah, well, unlike Teddy and Sacagawea, I'm playing to win," Jedediah retorts, taking the popcorn bowl and placing it in his lap before grabbing a few pieces in his fist.

"I am, too," Sacagawea smiles as she spins a ten and lands on 'Collect $100,000' space.

Everyone in the room is shocked by her statement. Especially Teddy.

The game of Life has now drawn to a close. Everyone is counting up his or her respective money left from the game, making sure to add in property values and bonus money from the fake children each had in the game.

"I have a million and five hundred thousand," Teddy announces, being the first one done counting his overall money.

"Well, then I beat you, Teddy. I had one million eight hundred thousand," Ahkmenrah smiles, proving that he _can_ beat at least _one_ person in a game they play.

Attila laughs at this, though no one is quite sure if the leader of the Huns even understood what Ahkmenrah said to the former president.

"My liege, I had one million eight hundred and ten thousand," Octavius challenges, which earns him a fist bump from Ahkmenrah as a silent congratulatory statement.

"Yeah!

"Two million dollars is how much I have," Hannah tells everyone else, earning her three shocked expressions, one each from Teddy, Octavius, and Ahkmenrah. "What? Is something wrong?" she teases upon seeing the three men's faces.

"My love, you still had that much money even with buying that eight hundred-thousand-dollar mansion?" Ahkmenrah questions in awe, not quite sure how that is possible.

"I told all of you when we started that the money from the houses gets added back in the end, so the most expensive houses reap the biggest reward," Hannah explains, a smile on her face.

"Man! How did I manage ta beat ya, Hannah?" Jedediah inquires, looking at her with a questioning look on his face.

"You did? Well, then how much money did you get, Jedediah?" she asks back, curious as to how Jedediah fared even with having a lower paycheck than everyone except Teddy, which is probably why Teddy lost.

"I had two million and three hundred thousand, accordin' ta my counts," Jedediah responds with a confident smile on his face.

"Well done, lad!" Teddy cheers, which makes the cowboy raise his hat in victory.

"I told you that you could come back from that, Jedediah," Octavius smiles, elbowing Jedediah slightly, making the blonde smile.

"Well, ya never said that out loud, Octavius," Jedediah grins back, nudging Octavius in the side with his elbow. "So, I guess that makes me the winner, then?"

"Not quite," Sacagawea's soft voice breaks through the cowboy's victory dance.

"What do you mean, my dear?" Teddy asks as he grasps one of her hands in his own.

"I mean that I have collected two million six hundred thousand dollars through this game of life," Sacagawea proudly announces, which makes Teddy's mouth hang open once more.

He didn't know his girlfriend was such a savage board game player.

He is actually quite impressed.

He can't find the right words to describe his feelings right now.

"Impressive, Lady Sacagawea! Well done!" Octavius cheers, giving Sacagawea a high five during his statement.

"Congratulations," Ahkmenrah smiles, offering Sacagawea a hug.

"Thank you," she replies, leaning into Ahkmenrah's hug while trying not to jostle Teddy too much.

The president still has his hand in hers, staring into the distance with his mouth opened in surprise.

"That is amazing for your first game, Sacagawea! I don't think I've ever seen anyone with that much money left at the end," Hannah smiles, high fiving Sacagawea as well.

"I guess I had ya figured wrong, Sacagawea," Jedediah states, walking over to stand in front of her while he talks.

"And what do you mean by that?" the Shoshone woman inquires, a small grin playing at her lips.  
"I never figured ya as one to play ta win. You seem like the nice mom who lets everyone else beat her ta make them feel good 'bout themselves," Jedediah admits, looking down at his boots with a slightly guilty expression.

"I am in most situations, Jedediah. However, when game championships are at stake, I just get a competitive nature, just like the rest of you," Sacagawea smirks, which makes Jedediah chuckle.

"Well, I'll never doubt that again," Jedediah laughs, snapping Teddy out of whatever daze the President of the United States was in.

"There's only fifteen minutes until sunrise, everyone," Hannah says in a regretful tone as she checks her watch. "So, before we clean up the office and everyone heads to his or her exhibit, I have a gift for Octavius and Jedediah," she announces, producing a wrapped present from under the table.

"That's very kind of you, Hannah," Octavius thanks, bowing as much he can with his back still aching slightly.

"Thank ya so much, Hannah! Now, can we unwrap this bad boy and see what's inside?" Jedediah excitedly inquires, bouncing up and down on the toes of his boots.

"Of course. Now, it may take a while since I used a lot of tape. I didn't want Dexter ripping into it while we were playing Life," Hannah smiles, setting the box on the table in front of the two miniatures.

"All right, Jedediah. You can climb to the top of the box since you are more healed than I am. I shall tackle the bottom of the present," Octavius instructs, earning him a thumbs up from the excited cowboy.

"Gotcha, kemosabe!" Jedediah cheers, climbing up the side of the present before hacking into the top of the wrapping paper with the edge of one of his pistols.

Octavius, meanwhile, uses his sword to slash at some of the bottom wrapping paper. Both men continue ripping into the packaging for two minutes before all of the paper eventually falls away from the present. Jedediah and Octavius gasp upon seeing the present waiting for them.

"WOW!" is all that comes out of Jedediah's mouth. (That seems to be his trademark phrase when something impresses him.

"This is amazing, Hannah! Thank you!" Octavius finally gets to saying, standing in awe at the gift in front of him and Jedediah.

"You're quite welcome, Jedediah and Octavius. I thought you guys would like it," Hannah smiles, glad her two favorite miniatures in the whole museum are happy with their gift. "Now, I know it's still a bit too soon for this gift….." she continues, only to be cut off by Jedediah.

"Are ya kiddin', Hannah? I love her! I can't wait to test 'er out when Ockie and I get better!" Jedediah smiles, running to the left side and admiring his new gift.

"Yes. This new car looks to be a lot more durable than the last one," Octavius agrees, rubbing his hand across the hood, looking at himself in the reflection.

"I thought of you when I picked this car out, Octavius. It's bigger than your last car, which means it should be safer for the two of you to ride in," Hannah admits before opening the passenger side door to show Octavius something. "And, there are actually seatbelts in this car, so you and Jedediah should be twice as safe in this new car. Don't worry, Jedediah; I thought about you when I got you guys this car, too. I thought that since you've already had a sports car that your next car should be a Jeep. I know that you have to have a tough, cool looking car, so I went with the Jeep in order to appease both of you. Now, most Jeeps don't have doors, but since it's usually used as a toy, they came with them."

"And ya even got it in my lucky color!" Jedediah cheers, admiring the black coat of paint. "Now it matches ma Stetson!" he continues before hopping into the driver's seat.

"Jedediah, I do not believe you have time to venture into the car tonight, my boy," Teddy speaks up, having come over to watch the excited miniatures interact with their new car. (He silently hopes that this is their last car since they've already wrecked two.)

"Aw, man! I forgot it's almost sunrise!" Jedediah says in a disappointed tone, climbing out of the Jeep and stepping into Hannah's palm.

"Yes. Well, I suppose there is one thing all of you should know before the sun rises," Octavius tells all of the exhibits that are present.

"And what might that be, Octavius?" Ahkmenrah inquires in an adorable tone, bending down to look the general in the eyes.

"Jedediah and I are brothers now," Octavius announces, which makes everyone in the room clap.

Hannah has to clap with one hand since she's holding Octavius and Jedediah in the other hand.

"I am so happy for both of you," Sacagawea smiles, hugging both of them in turn.

"So am I. I knew there was a deep, brotherly bond between the two of you," Hannah agrees, hugging Jedediah and Octavius softly where she doesn't suffocate either of them.

"I think we've all seen that bond, lass," Teddy smiles, resting his hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Yeah! Now, Ockie, am I the older or younger brother? Huh? Which am I, pardner?" Jedediah inquires in an inquisitive tone, an adorable expression on his face as he waits for an answer.

"Younger. You're definitely the younger brother. I have to keep you out of trouble, much like an older brother does," Octavius smirks, which makes Jedediah nod in agreement, not even trying to deny this fact.

"Just do us all a favor, Octavius, and do not be like Kahmunrah," Ahkmenrah advises, a shiver running down his spine.

"Who is Kahmunrah, dear boy?" Teddy asks in his calming father-like tone.

"That is a story for another night, I'm afraid," Ahkmenrah answers. "It is almost dawn. We must all return to our displays."

"Octavius, before ya claim to be a better older brother than me, you need ta know that I was an older brother in our past lives," Jedediah tells his Roman best friend and now brother.

"That's a scary thought," Octavius jokes.

His statement makes everyone in the room laugh, even Jedediah.

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 6! I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing my story. You girls and guys are amazing! Shout out and thank you to** _Jeepers Creepers_ **and** _arwenishtar_ **for their suggestions for this chapter! I hope I captured your visions well; I hadn't thought of doing a get-well party, so I'm glad you suggested it. If anyone has any other ideas, feel free to leave them in the reviews. (I still have a few spaces left to fill in my chapter outline, so make your requests soon!) I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; as always, I had fun writing it! Also, as always, reviews are always appreciated, so I thank all of you for those. Happy Fourth of July to all of my fellow Americans reading this! That's all I have to say this time, so until Chapter 7, my amazing readers!**


	7. Evening Expeditions

**Chapter 7**

 **Disclaimer: I still only own my OCs.**

"So, do ya feel like explorin' tonight?"

The question comes just five minutes after sunset in the Roman diorama. Confused as to how Jedediah got into the Roman city this fast without anyone noticing, Octavius decides to ask the cowboy about his particularly sneaky ways this evening.

"Jedediah! You startled me!" Octavius gasps, turning around to face his best friend and brother. "How on Earth did you get over here so fast? The sun has barely even set," he asks, looking over Jedediah's shoulder to see if he even brought Lightning- Jed's loyal paint stallion- which would have made the journey shorter for the cowboy.

"Oh, I meant to tell ya, Ockie," Jedediah grins, grabbing Octavius' hand before dragging him towards the wall that separates the Roman diorama from the Wild West diorama.

"Jedediah, what is the meaning of this? You cannot just drag me through my own city like this!" Octavius complains, trying to dig his heels into the path to slow his advance.

The stares he is receiving from some of his soldiers is a bit awkward and Octavius tries to hide his face behind his helmet or yank free of Jedediah's vice-like grip. He is successful at neither of these options.

"Ta-da!" Jedediah says with a sweeping motion of his hands, dropping Octavius' hand in the process.

Octavius looks at what Jedediah motions to, and his mouth drops open in surprise.

"You—You _actually_ finished this? We've been working on it for months; I'm impressed!" Octavius remarks with a grin, looking at the fine handiwork that is completed on his side of the two dioramas.

"Yep! Me, Shane, Bruce, Marcus, and Cato finished up the tunnel last night while ya were sleepin'," Jedediah announces, thinking back to last night's events.

Last night had been Wednesday night, the night Ahkmenrah had determined would be when Octavius would be completely healed. However, ever one to take the cautious side, Octavius determined he would rest for one more night in order to make sure he was completely recovered before getting back to his usual mischief with Jedediah or running the army like normal. The Roman general had slept most of the night away; he trained his army until around eleven o'clock-the sun had set around eight that evening and Octavius went to sleep in his quarters at eleven fifteen until the sun rose at about six A.M. the following morning. Jedediah and the two leaders' men must have done quite the work during the night while Octavius slept undisturbed.

"You did an excellent job on the tunnel, Jedediah! I could barely see it before you pointed it out," Octavius announces, clapping his hand over Jedediah's back in a gesture of praise.

"That was Marcus' idea, Ockie. He knew how much the tunnel's secrecy meant to ya since you don't want McPhee gettin' on ta Larry and then Gigantor getting' on ta us 'bout building a tunnel 'tween our dioramas," Jedediah smiles, knowing that now neither of them will get in trouble due to their personal extension of the exhibits.

"Well, I think it's absolutely brilliant! This _must_ be how you got over here so quickly tonight," Octavius excitedly remarks.

"That's what I been tryin' ta tell ya, Ockie!" Jedediah shouts before running through the tunnel onto the Western side of the tunnel. "Now, come on, let's go explorin' with Cyclone!"

"Cyclone?" Octavius asks in confusion, not knowing who Jedediah is speaking of.

"Our Jeep, Toga Boy. Now, come on! I wanna get outta here 'fore the people think that I need to keep the railroad goin'."

"You named _our car?_ That's strange even for you, Jedediah."

Jedediah simply hits Octavius' helmet to where it is covering the older man's eyes before giving him a shove towards the edge of the Western diorama.

"I'm still gonna pretend I don't hear your insults, Octavius," Jedediah softly remarks, hopping down the diorama with a couple feet of rope wrapped around his arm like a lasso.

"Well, they're true," Octavius quietly says with a smirk before calling out to his second-in-command. "Marcus! I am placing the army in your command until I return!" the Roman general calls in a loud voice, making a tall- in miniature standards- brown-haired man with blue eyes like the sea appear near the edge of the Roman diorama.

"Yes, my liege! When will you be returning, Octavius?" Marcus answers, cupping his hands around his mouth in order to be heard over the soldiers training on a makeshift battle-like course.

"Around midnight or one at the latest, I should say," he replies to Marcus, waving at his second in command with a smile on his face.

"Have fun, General Octavius. And, Jedediah, please take care of him," Marcus grins, saluting at both leaders.

"Ya have my word, Marcus. Now, come on, Octavius; let's ride!" Jedediah promises, jumping into the Jeep before making sure to click his seatbelt into place where Octavius won't have a fit.

Octavius sits down in the passenger seat, wasting no time clipping into his seatbelt.

Jedediah and Octavius head down the hall in the opposite direction of the Hall of Miniatures, having seen a secret passage they can check out this evening.

"Where are we exploring tonight, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires in a curious tone as Jed pulls their black Jeep to a stop.

"Well, I remember we said we wanted ta explore the air vents some night, so I figured it'd be a safe thing to do while you're still recovering," Jedediah says, opening the driver side door before jumping out onto the tiled floor, the rope falling off of his shoulder as he lands on his feet perfectly without stumbling.

"That is just as well. We shall endeavor to explore and map the unknown spaces held within these air vents!" Octavius shouts in excitement, moving to pick up the rope Jedediah dropped before attempting to throw it up into the air vent near the ceiling.

The Roman misses on his first attempt, prompting a light chuckle from Jedediah.

"What was that, Octavius?" the blonde jokes. "Ya missed by like fifteen feet, boy!"

"That is an incorrect statement, Jedediah. The ceiling is only ten feet high and the vent is about six feet in the air, as it is on the wall where a human could reach it. Besides, this is my first time throwing with that kind of rope. Give me one more try."

Jedediah steps back, allowing Octavius one more attempt to try and catch the rope around the air vent where the two miniatures can pull themselves up like movies portray gym students doing. Once more, Octavius completely misses the air vent; this attempt was worse than his first one.

"Give me the rope, Ockie. You're just bein' embarrassing, now," Jedediah jokes, taking the rope from his best friend's hands before swinging the long piece of rope in the air like a _really_ long lasso, much like the one attached to the belt where it is resting on Jedediah's hip.

The cowboy hooks the air vent on his first try, causing him to puff his chest out and give Octavius a superior look.

"Well, I could have done that, too, if I had as much practice as you have," Octavius assures, making Jedediah scoff.

"Sure ya could have," Jed laughs, which makes Octavius roll his brown eyes in annoyance.

"Just start climbing, cowboy," the general commands, wanting to hurry this along where they will have time to _actually_ explore before he has to go back and command his army in training.

"All right, all right. Keep your armor on, Toga Boy," Jedediah smiles, which makes Octavius laugh slightly.

"I see what you did there, my friend. That was a good play on a familiar phrase."

"Uh-huh. Now, I'll race ya to the top, Ockie!" Jedediah challenges.

"Jedediah, there is only one rope. There is no way for me to go around you now that you've already starting climbing."

"Then I guess we know who's gonna win then."

With that, both men begin to race up the rope, Octavius gaining steadily on his blonde-haired blue-eyed friend, much to Jedediah's disappointment. They both decide to take a break about thirty minutes into their climb and it's Octavius who realizes just how high up off the ground they are.

"Jedediah, are you sure this rope is sturdy?" Octavius inquires with a gulp, looking down at the floor as it seems to shift in front of his eyes.

" 'Course it is, Octavius! I mean, we've been a' climbin' up it for thirty minutes now, partner. You're completely safe; I promise," Jedediah assures, looking down at his best friend as he hears Octavius' breath hitch as the general breathes in.

"Okay. Well, can we keep going, please? I don't quite like the look of the ground from all the way up here," the Roman asks with a worried sigh, his brown eyes widening as he continues looking at the ground.

"Yeah, we can. Come on, Octavius," Jedediah says, moving up a few inches before stopping and turning back around. "Octavius, listen to me and listen good. I'm not gonna let nothin' happen ta ya again, kemosabe. You're not gonna fall," the cowboy comforts, pausing to wipe the line of sweat off his forehead.

"You're positive?" comes Octavius' worried reply, his brown eyes shut since Jedediah has stopped and the general does not want to make the mistake and look down at the ground again.

"As positive as can be. And I would never lie ta ya, Toga Boy. Trust me on that, partner. And, even if ya did fall, I'd catch ya, Octavius."

"Thank you, my friend. Now, let us push onward."

Jedediah nods in response before continuing the climb, making sure that Octavius is right behind him and checking the rope's strength every couple of inches. He would make sure Octavius got up to the top of the rope in one piece and unhurt. He wouldn't have another night like the car crash that occurred four nights ago. Jedediah still blames himself for that horrible night and for almost getting Octavius killed… He didn't know if he would ever forgive himself for that…..

They reach the top of the rope- and the opening to the air vent- about an hour and a half after they started climbing. If that feat doesn't say anything about their grip strength, then the two miniatures don't know what would. Jedediah of course reaches the top first, as he was the first one on the rope, so he extends a hand down to Octavius in order to pull the Roman the rest of the way up without his legs dangling any more than necessary. To be honest, the rope had been a bit too short to entirely reach the air vent; Jedediah needed a boost from Octavius in order to reach the grate of the air vent without falling.

"There ya are, Ockie. Back on solid ground," Jed smiles, handing Octavius the canteen of water he packed for them on their journey.

"Thank Jupiter for that!" Octavius says in relief, looking up at the air vent's "ceiling" as he doesn't want to look out to see the ground. "Smart idea to bring water, Jedediah. The thought did not cross my mind," he continues, earning him a surprised gasp from Jed.

"You mean _I_ actually thought of something that the great General Octavius didn't?" Jedediah asks in a shocked tone, earning him a light smack on the back of the head from Octavius. "That one's going on the record!"

"Nothing of the sort is going on the record. Just so you know, Jedediah, if we _were_ keeping these type things on the record," Octavius begins once more, pausing slightly to take a sip of water from the canteen. "You would be so far behind it would be unbelievable," he jokes, which makes Jedediah steal back his water canteen.

"Gimme my water back, boy! Those who talk bad 'bout Jedediah Smith don't get no water," Jed says in a huff, clipping the canteen onto his belt loop before moving off further into the air vent.

"Jedediah, it's 'don't get _any_ water' and you know very well I am just kidding," Octavius explains gently.

"Yeah, I know. Now, let's go explore the vents!" Jedediah happily says, all but running down the vents, his boots echoing on the aluminum that makes up the vents. "Oh, I almost forgot, Ockie! Did ya 'member to bring the paper and somethin' to write with where we can map our secret areas?" he inquires like an excited child wanting to do some arts and crafts at school.

If you're the type of child who enjoys that sort of thing….. Some people- like Hannah, Ahkmenrah, Jedediah, Larry, and Teddy don't really seem to get how to do really any type of art, unless stick figures count. Madison- she is Hannah's sister-, Sacagawea, Octavius, Nicky, and even Attila, on the other hand are all very impressive artists in his or her own creative way.

"I did. You never leave Rome to explore an unknown territory without paper and a writing device to create a map to use upon your return home or back to the place you discovered," Octavius confidently remarks, pulling out the pieces of paper and a small enough quill that he would use to draw the map. "I also brought you a pencil, Jedediah, in case you want to try to map out the vents with me," he smiles, knowing that the cowboy couldn't draw to save his life.

Well, Octavius can't blame him. Drawing isn't really a skill taught to many people while they're young and impressionable; most people are either born with talent- like Madison and Sacagawea- or they were made to follow someone else's drawing for a purpose, which is Octavius' department and wheelhouse.

"Kay! I'mma do a better map this time, Ockie! The one for the American History Room was just for practice," the blonde assures, stopping slightly when he hears noise coming from below them in the air vent.

They haven't even been walking for that long….

"Shh. I think I hear something down there, kemosabe," Jedediah whispers, cautiously bringing his guns out of their respective holsters, not knowing if some bird or other foreign object that doesn't belong in the museum has entered.

"Be careful, Jedediah. I shall be right behind you," Octavius softly says back, drawing his sword and holding it in front of his chest, though making sure not to accidentally stab Jedediah in the back with it.

"Why is it that I always gotta go first?"

"You always insist on it."

"Yeah. Sure I do. Scaredy cat," Jedediah teases, turning around to face his Roman friend and brother.

"I am _not_ a scaredy cat! You're just taller, that's all," Octavius says to try and cover for his dislike of going first in an unknown, possibly dangerous, situation.

"What's that gotta do with anythin'?" Jedediah all but hisses, trying to keep his voice low where he doesn't alert whatever may be below them.

"I don't know!" Octavius hisses back, not enjoying Jedediah calling him a scaredy cat.

The nerve of him to say that!

Jedediah and Octavius soon reach a small opening in the air duct in which they can see between the bars on the air vent. It is then that they notice the source of the noise.

"False alarm, boy. Put your sword up," Jedediah whispers as he sets his guns back into their holsters.

"Yes. I can see that. What are Teddy and Sacagawea doing in a remote part of the museum?" Octavius wonders aloud, putting on his famous and somewhat adorable thinking face. "They are usually in the midst of the museum's night life," he continues, watching as Teddy and Sacagawea step closer to one another.

"Maybe they just wanted to be alone," Jedediah says with a raised eyebrow, looking quite enthused by the whole situation. "Together," he adds in with a smile, making Octavius turn to face him with a slightly weirded out expression.

"Then maybe we should leave the two of them in privacy. They obviously wanted to get away from the constant throng of people in the museum lobby," Octavius whispers, not wanting to alert Sacagawea or Teddy of their presence in the air duct above them.

"Did you hear something, my dear?" Teddy asks mid-sentence, having heard what he thinks was Octavius' and Jedediah's voices.

"I feel as if I heard something, Teddy Bear, but I don't hear anything any longer," Sacagawea answers, using her nickname for Teddy that no one has ever heard. Until now.

"Teddy Bear?!" Jedediah howls with laughter, rolling over onto his back as he bangs his hands on the side of the air duct.

"Shush, Jedediah!" Octavius hisses through gritted teeth. "Do you want us to be found out?" he continues, doing his best to remain unseen by the president and the young Shoshone woman.

"There the noise was again, Teddy Bear," Sacagawea softly comments, turning away from Teddy and looking up towards the air vents where Octavius and Jedediah are exploring slash hiding.

That nearly sets Jedediah off into a fit of laughter _again._ However, noticing his best friend's amused face and hearing a slight chuckle starting to build, Octavius slips Jedediah's bandanna over the cowboy's mouth to serve as sort of a temporary gag for the blonde.

"Whoever is there, show yourselves and you will not be punished or reprimanded in any way. I promise this to be true," Teddy calls out, looking around the room, wondering if Larry or someone else is trying to spy on him and his love.

Octavius makes sure that Jedediah's bandanna stays in the cowboy's mouth, not wanting Jedediah to give away their hiding place. With the miniature men staying silent, Teddy and Sacagawea return to their own private world, one without eavesdropping men named Jedediah and Octavius.

"Ten gold pieces say they kiss," Jedediah whispers, which makes Octavius wheel around in surprise.

"What?!" Octavius whisper-shouts, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself or the blonde cowboy. "How in the world did you take your makeshift gag out of your mouth?" the Roman asks in astonishment, not sure how Jedediah was able to get his gag out without making any noise.

"Ya never tied my hands, Ockie. One o' the number one things ya learn in the West is how to get outta binds like this if cattle rustlers try ta come and take your herd o' cattle," Jedediah announces, quickly quieting his voice upon seeing Teddy turning around towards the air vent once more.

Once Teddy has turned his attention back to Sacagawea and whispering sentiments in her ear, Jedediah continues to speak to Octavius.

"So, do ya agree to the bet? Ten gold pieces says they kiss?" Jedediah smirks, knowing very well that he should win this wager.

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree to a wager you give me. However, this is a very different situation, as we are both well aware of Teddy and Sacagawea's love for one another," Octavius replies to Jedediah's wager. "Therefore, I will not take your bet, as it is insured that I will lose," he tells the cowboy, much to Jed's disappointment.

"Fine! Oh, Ockie, look! They're goin' in for the kiss!" Jedediah softly yells, jerking Octavius' shoulder to show the Roman.

True to Jedediah's statement, Teddy is passionately kissing Sacagawea, holding her head with one hand and resting his other hand on her back. Sacagawea has one of her hands in Teddy's hair- the twenty-sixth president's hat is now resting on a table nearby- and her other hand is resting on Teddy's left shoulder. Octavius watches with a slight blush tinting his cheeks as he watches the display of affection between the president and the famous tracker.

"Um, Jedediah-" Octavius awkwardly starts off, not comfortable with watching a couple's display of affection without Teddy or Sacagawea knowing they are watching them. "There are some things that Teddy and Sacagawea would not wish for us to witness. And, I must confess, I do not really enjoy watching a couple's displays of affection without them being any wiser as to our eavesdropping," the Roman continues, heading for the edge of the air vent. "We should go now and give them some privacy," he speaks up as he reaches the end of the air duct.

"All right. Have it your way, Ockie," Jedediah pouts, beginning to head towards his best friend and Sacagawea deepens her kiss with Teddy, making the president blush fiercely.

With that, the two miniatures start their descent down the rope, having mapped a decent amount of the air duct for the night. Plus, it is almost eleven o'clock, the time Octavius told Marcus he would be back in the Roman diorama to train his army to make sure no soldier is slacking or lacking proper battle training.

After the two miniatures hit the ground with their feet, Jedediah pulls the rope down from the air vent as Octavius gets into the passenger side of the car. Jedediah then comes and jumps into the driver's seat, kicking on the ignition before sending their car cruising at a comfortable speed back towards the Hall of Miniatures.

"So, did ya have fun tonight, Ockie?" Jedediah asks, keeping his eyes on the road for once, not wanting to get into another accident.

"I enjoyed myself, yes. Though I am sure we breached Teddy and Sacagawea's privacy quite a bit with our escapade," Octavius responds, casting a glance over at Jedediah to see the cowboy smirking, his blue eyes lighting up at the statement.

"Yeah. But, hey, what they don't know won't kill 'em," the cowboy jokes before becoming deathly serious. "Ya have to swear never to tell, Octavius," Jedediah firmly says, not wanting any slip-ups. " 'Cause, I don't know about you, but I don't plan on havin' to face Teddy's speech about invading others' privacy like he gave Ahkmenrah after the Pharaoh hacked Larry's Amazon account," he shudders just thinking about Teddy's disappointed face and stern conversations when other museum inhabitants misbehave.

"I swear that I shall never tell another soul as long as I live. Or, well, you know what I mean," Octavius announces, raising his right hand in the air as he does so before fumbling over his last choices of words.

"Read ya loud and clear, partner. So, do you wanna explore somewhere else tomorrow night 'fore we go back to trainin' and buildin' railroads?" Jedediah inquires, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Indeed. I would very much like to go on another expedition like the one we experienced tonight," Octavius happily answers, ready to get back to his usual activities with Jedediah after being injured for four nights.

"I was hopin' ya'd say that, Ockie. How 'bout we visit the African Hall of Mammals tomorrow?"

"And what, may I ask, would we do in there, Jedediah?"

"Well… I've kinda always wanted to lasso a zebra and ride it 'round the museum to see if it's like a horse….."

"Jedediah Smith, you are going to be the death of me, my friend."

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 7! I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing my story. You girls and guys are amazing! Shout out and thank you to** _arwenishtar_ **for the suggestion for this chapter! I hope I captured your visions well; I had a blank spot for this chapter, so I'm glad you suggested it! I had so much fun writing it; I think it turned out great! If anyone has any other ideas, feel free to leave them in the reviews. (I still have one space left to fill in my chapter outline, so make your request soon!) Also, as always, reviews are always appreciated, so I thank all of you for those. Oh, and I'm going to the Smithsonian in two weeks with my family on vacation! I AM SO EXCITED! My sister- who is both Jedediah X3 when she's a guest and HotChilePepper when she's signed in- and I are already planning on taking lots of pictures and referencing NATM at any given moment while we're there! That's all I have to say this time- because it's 11:12 and I have to get up early tomorrow- so until Chapter 8, my amazing readers!**

P.S. I almost didn't get this chapter up today because I have so much school work it is unbelievable! It's summer, but my school thinks we need to do work for five classes I'm taking this year for my Junior year in high school BEFORE school actually starts. So, this is the one story I keep updates constant on. You guys and girls are the luckiest readers I have! XD Lol. :) ;)


	8. Zebra Rides and Chariot Races

**Chapter 8**

 **Disclaimer: I still only own the OCs. If I did own more, we'd have a spin-off movie of Octavius and Jedediah by now. Plus, Rami Malek and Mizuo Peck would have bigger parts in the trilogy.**

"Now, come on. Let's make a plan," Jedediah quietly says almost as soon as the sun sets for the night.

Staying true to his word of last night, Jedediah has it in his head that he and Octavius are actually going to explore the Hall of African Mammals. The blonde cowboy still has it in his head that he wants to ride a zebra through the museum…. Octavius is seriously hoping he'll forget the whole ordeal and not put their lives in danger by going into the Hall of African Mammals…

"It'll be fun," Jedediah remarks in a convincing tone, noticing the disapproving and incredulous look on Octavius' face as the general paces up and down in front of his stationary army.

"Yeah, right," Octavius scoffs at his best friend and honorary brother's statement. "I've heard that one before," the Roman remarks, thinking back to all the times Jedediah has promised one of his "plans" would turn out to be "fun".

Most of the time Octavius feels like he is going to get in trouble with some of the other museum inhabitants- the instance in which Jedediah thought bashing their sports car against Attila and the Huns' ankles for example- or end up getting hurt- the current zebra-riding matter is a perfect example of this.

"Come on, Ockie! It _will_ be fun this time!" Jedediah insists, just wanting his best friend to get out of the diorama from training the army like he does _every_ night.

Though here recently- as in the past few months, maybe even near the start of his and Jedediah's friendship a year and a half ago- Octavius has been training his army less and less. Part of the men in both Octavius' and Jedediah's civilizations say it's because of the fact that the Romans and cowboys are no longer at war, so there are not threats to either civilization. Yet, the other half has the most likely reason on its side: Octavius and Jedediah have been wanting to go off on adventures and explore every nook and cranny of the museum while celebrating their strong friendship and brotherly bond.

"It'll be just like ridin' a horse!" Jedediah announces aloud, hoping this to be true.

He's never ridden a zebra before, so the blonde doesn't really know what to expect from the black and white striped quadruped. Jedediah at least _assumes_ that riding a zebra is about the equivalent of riding a horse in the Wild West. After all, Jedediah had heard Hannah and Teddy mention one time to Ahkmenrah that zebras were relatives to horses. So, the cowboy's mind instantly links the two ideas together, thinking that _he,_ Jedediah Smith- famous western legend and overall outstanding cowboy- could ride slash tame a zebra if anyone could.

Octavius mumbles something under his voice and Jedediah has to strain his ears to hear him.

"What was that, Ockie? I couldn't quite hear ya, partner," Jedediah remarks, straightening his black Stetson as he grabs a long lasso from near the tunnel he, Octavius, and the other miniatures completed just two nights ago.

Once again, Octavius mumbles under his breath, not wanting to reveal his secret to his friend. _"Jedediah would just laugh at me,"_ the older man thinks in his own mind, not wanting to tell the cowboy something as embarrassing as this.

"One more time, Octavius. Now, stop this craziness and tell ol' Jedediah your reason for whisperin'," the cowboy softly says, pausing to lock his steel blue eyes on Octavius' dark brown eyes that could intimidate almost anyone.

"I don't know how to ride a horse," Octavius whispers just loud enough for Jedediah to hear.

"Ya don't know how to ride a horse, Ockie?"

Octavius clamps a hand over Jedediah's mouth, thinking that the blonde is being a bit too loud with his question out of shock.

"No."

The answer is low and simple as Octavius looks down at his sandaled feet in embarrassment. He didn't want anyone to ever know that secret and now one of the most talkative people in the museum is aware of this secret. Octavius knows he's doomed; the secret of his ineptitude to ride a horse will circumnavigate the museum in less than a night.

"How is that even possible, Octavius?" Jedediah starts to ask, resting one hand on Octavius' right shoulder, leading the general towards their car where they can head towards the Hall of African Mammals. "Didn't ya ever have ta ride a horse inta battle with your men?" he continues, which just makes Octavius feel a little worse. The next question is what really throws Octavius' emotions into a ditch so to speak. "Didn't your Pa ever teach ya how ta ride a horse? Mine sure as heck did. Taught me 'fore I learned how ta walk."

"No, my friend; I never rode a horse into battle with my men. In fact, the only horses I've ever ridden are those that pull a chariot when I was in said chariot," Octavius admits, sliding into the passenger seat and looking out the window with clouded eyes. "I felt that riding a horse was a coward's way out and showed that the general felt he was more privileged than those under his command. I didn't want that in my legion," the Roman general continues, pausing a bit to take a breath of air as a few tears prick his dark brown eyes as he thinks of the last part of Jedediah's statement.

"Hey, Octo," Jedediah softly remarks, which makes Octavius wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes before turning to face Jedediah. "Take your time, kemosabe. I'm sorry if I overstepped a bound'ry or somethin'. I just thought….."

"Jedediah, please stop. None of this is your fault. Now, please, no more talk of fathers and their children for tonight, my friend. I ask you as my best friend and brother not to bring up the subject again until I am ready to discuss it," Octavius replies, cutting Jedediah off mid-sentence before switching back into his usual commanding and courageous self. "Now, I do believe you convinced me to go ride zebras with you," he smirks before hearing Jed whoop in excitement.

The cowboy all but slams down on the gas pedal, racing them towards the Hall of African Mammals where they can begin to ride a zebra.

"I'll make sure to show ya how to ride a horse someday, Ockie! For now, we'll just ride on the same zebra 'til I have time to show ya how to ride a horse properly. Don't worry; you'll be a natural just like I was!"

That makes a small smile appear on Octavius face, which is enough to tell Jedediah he's done a good- great even- job at comforting his friend's sudden saddened mood. For now, Jedediah counts that as a win, but the blonde silently vows to get to the bottom of Octavius' comments on the past and why the general suddenly becomes sad when speaking of subjects of his home land and family of any sort.

Jedediah parks the car neatly next to the baseboard closest to the first gate of the Hall of African Mammals, grabbing both his Stetson and the long lasso from the car's console before stepping out of the Jeep and stretching his legs. Octavius grabs his helmet from the middle seat- neither miniature is used to their Jeep having six seats yet- before getting out of the car as well and cracking the joints in his arms to prepare for one wild ride.

"So, any ideas on how we are going to acquire a ride on one of the zebras?" Octavius inquires while looking over at Jedediah.

"I'mma thinkin' of something, Octavius. Don't ya worry 'bout that," Jedediah smiles, a dangerous and all too familiar look in his blue eyes.

"Oh, no. We're in for trouble," the Roman sighs, knowing that look all too well by now.

"Why? 'Cause I'm thinkin'?" Jedediah demands, wanting to get mad at Octavius but finding it harder to do so tonight due to the Roman's emotions not that much earlier in the night.

"No. I'm not saying that because you're thinking. I am saying this because that look in your eyes _always_ ends up with us in some sort of trouble," Octavius admits, knowing this to be an all too true fact.

"Yeah," Jedediah remarks while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand to try and deflect the suspicion that is falling on him. "But, we do have fun while gettin' into trouble. Now, my plan is to squeeze between the links o' the fence since Gigantor prolly already locked the gates," the cowboy remarks, pushing up the sleeves of his blue long-sleeved shirt to prepare for the mission ahead of them.

"That is a sound plan, my friend. Well, onward with your plan of action, Jedediah," the general grins, grabbing the small pack of supplies he packed for them such as two canteens of water and a few snacks that both men enjoy, such as Cheese Puffs and marshmallows.

"Is this more o' that me goin' first into dangerous situations 'cause I'm taller?"

"I did not say that, Jedediah. You simply get to go first since this is your plan."

"Mm-hmm. Come on, we're wastin' moonlight."

With that, Jedediah climbs between two sections of the gate with Octavius following close behind.

The two miniature men hit the ground at almost the exact same time as they hide in the tree line away from any of the African carnivores that may or may not be present in the room. As soon as Octavius' sandals hit the ground, the small shoes kick up a small patch of dirt, which makes Jedediah sneeze. Loudly.

"Bless you, my friend. That was quite the sneeze," Octavius quietly remarks where he doesn't draw too much attention to the two of them as they continue to scope out the area. I hope you didn't blow out something you need, like your brain," he adds in as a joke, which makes Jedediah just stare daggers at him in an unpleased way.

"Ha, ha," Jedediah sarcastically laughs at Octavius. "I forgot how to laugh," he jokes right back, smacking Octavius' armor with one hand before regretting his move.

The loud bang- or loud to the miniatures and African carnivores- echoes throughout the room, making Jedediah regret that course of action as he retracts his hand from Octavius' armor. A loud growling and a roar echoes through the room soon after the noise is produced from Octavius' chest plate. Soon, a loud snuffling as something sniffs the trees near Octavius and Jedediah shakes both miniatures as the wind coming from said sniffing is almost strong enough to knock Jedediah and Octavius on their butts from the force. However, both men stand their ground, neither wanting to back down. They have reputations of being two of the toughest exhibits in the museum and for good reason; neither Octavius nor Jedediah will ever back down from a challenge or opponent, no matter how big or small the task at hand may be.

"What's that?" Jedediah whispers, a slight look of fear on his face as he turns to face Octavius while slowly and quietly slipping his famous guns out of the holsters.

"Probably something that wants to eat us," Octavius truthfully comments in a deadpan voice, not wanting to sugarcoat the information while pulling his sword out of its sheath, prepared to help Jedediah fight whatever is going to try and stop them (or eat them in Octavius' own words).

"Real encouraging, Toga Boy," Jed sarcastically remarks, hearing the growling grow louder as the roar comes closer to his ears, making the blonde cover his ears while still holding onto his trusty pistols.

"Well, it's true! I don't know about you, but I like to know the truth about my chances!" Octavius hisses through gritted teeth, feeling whiskers of one of the animals brush up against his arms and chest.

The fact that he can feel the coarse whiskers through his thick, multi-layered armor is probably not a good sign…..

With that, the museum's three lionesses jump into the trees and pounce near Jedediah and Octavius, making both men shout slightly in alarm. They don't scream; both of them are much too manly and proud for that. However, they do both let out very alarmed, undignified gasps as if they are on the verge of screaming their lungs out. Who would blame them if they did scream? They _are_ up against three of the most fearsome creatures in the whole world. Not to mention the lion that is now roaring his heart out as he leaps down from his usual mound with a snarl as he inches towards the miniatures. If they can't escape now… Well, Octavius would rather not think of the conclusion to their adventure in the Hall of African Mammals if that was to happen.

A few minutes pass in silence between the two miniatures. The lionesses and one male lion continue to make noise, which makes Jedediah and Octavius subconsciously back up against the wall and trees to try and hide from their stalkers- a very literal word in this case as the lions are _actually stalking_ them.

"I've got a plan," Jedediah barely whispers, his face containing just the slightest hint of fear and worry.

"Yeah?" Octavius inquires in a hopeful tone, wanting to know what his best friend's plan is and how to carry it out. "What is it?" the Roman continues, edging his friend on as the lionesses inch closer, having found out both miniatures' position behind the trees.

"You distract them and I'll….." Jedediah starts off before turning on his heel and starting to take off. "RUN!" Jedediah yells, taking off in the opposite direction of the lion pride, just barely managing to duck the main lioness' claws as she tries to swipe at him.

The blonde doesn't even wait for Octavius to catch up; he just continues to run for his own life, occasionally tossing looks over his shoulder to look for Octavius to make sure the Roman is following. He starts to, only the lionesses and lion are now charging behind Octavius to try and catch the Roman general and either use him as target practice or eat him. The Roman shudders at the fact as he catches up to Jedediah.

"Well, thanks a lot!" Octavius shouts at Jedediah, thumping the cowboy in the back of the head, which makes Jedediah yelp slightly at the impact.

"What's that 'posed ta mean? I told ya to run, Toga Boy!" Jedediah insists, righting his Stetson as it falls down from his running away from the lionesses, who are steadily gaining.

"NO! _You_ told me to distract them while you _ran away!_ I'm glad to see that you would let me get attacked by lionesses while you ran away!" Octavius yells over the growls of the lion pride and the frightened calls of the grazing animals of the Hall of African Mammals.

"Look, it wasn't meant ta be like that, Ockie! You know very well that you never come up with spur-of-the-moment plans, Octavius! You always plan things out _weeks_ in advance, for cryin' out loud!" Jedediah brings up his point and side of the story. " 'Sides, I figured that if I started runnin' that ya'd have the sense to follow me," he points out as he nears the edge of a platform.

Octavius follows Jedediah's lead without another word, hopping up onto the platform just as the largest lioness' teeth snap down where the general had been just two seconds before.

Jedediah gets that crazy look in his eyes as one of the zebras runs by with a snort, the smallest lioness gaining on the herbivore as the zebra loses speed. He expertly throws his lasso at the zebra, barely hooking the zebra's right ear as it speeds by the platform the cowboy and Romans are standing on.

"Come on, Ockie! Hop on!" Jedediah yells over the commotion as he starts to swing onto the zebra's head as it continues to run through the room as the male lion pounces towards the zebra's hindquarters.

" _ARE YOU INSANE_?!" Octavius all but demands as he looks at the gap between the zebra and himself as the striped animal starts to buck its body up and down, leaving Jedediah hanging on to the zebra's ear as it barrels down the tiled floor. "I can't make that jump! I'll fall and that beast will trample me to death!"

"Are you afraid?" Jedediah calls out, which makes Octavius straighten his helmet before bunching the muscles in his legs.

"I most definitely not afraid!" Octavius assures his best friend as he springs off of the platform before landing squarely on the zebra's back.

Jedediah grabs onto Octavius' arms, hoisting the Roman up onto the zebra's head and neck area where he can at least hold onto the zebra's mane.

"Nice jump, partner! Now, hold on, Ockie! We're breakin' out of here!" Jedediah whoops, jerking on the zebra's ears to try and direct the striped mammal towards the gate to the Hall of African Mammals.

"You're mad! We'll be sliced to pieces before we reach the lobby!" Octavius says with fear in his dark brown eyes as they continue for their crash-inevitable meeting with the tall, iron gate with an entire lion pride still nipping at their heels.

"You've got to have faith in me," Jedediah tells Octavius, glancing back behind him to see the Roman shutting his dark brown eyes where he doesn't have to look.

Octavius also tightens his hold on the zebra's mane, his knuckles turning white from the force his is putting into his grip.

The crash comes not long after this. Jedediah barrels the zebra into the gate, which sends the gate slamming down against the ground with a loud CRASH!

"Yee-haw!" Jedediah cheers, raising his Stetson in the air with one hand while directing the zebra with the other. "Throw your hands in the air, Octavius!" the blonde commands, running the zebra through the hallways as the animal's hooves echo on the tiled floor beneath them.

"It's more fun that way!" he assures, which makes Octavius open his eyes to see that they are, in fact, alive as the zebra rushes through the hall like a blur.

"No, I'm good like this," Octavius remarks in a soft voice, clutching onto the zebra's mane as Jedediah makes a sharp turn, which makes the zebra skid for a few seconds before righting its footsteps.

"What on Earth is going on here?" Teddy inquires as he and Sacagawea ride by on Texas.

The president pulls his trusty horse to a stop in the middle of the hallway, which makes the zebra skid to a halt. Even the animals seem to know how important of an authority figure and parent-like role model Teddy is to all of the museum. They all respect him. Well, with the exception of one animal in particular…

"Teddy Bear!" Sacagawea shouts out from on Texas' back as the other zebra that Octavius and Jedediah are not on- whose name is Zeus- comes speeding up from behind the four humans and practically swipes Teddy to the ground.

"I'm all right, my dear!" Teddy calls back as he tries his best to climb up from the zebra's chest, which is where the zebra made contact.

Teddy manages to try and crawl up the zebra's face, only to slide back down to the zebra's stomach where he has to hang on by the tips of his fingers in order to not fall to the ground and be trampled by the zebra's hooves.

Octavius, Jedediah, and Sacagawea race into action. Sacagawea slides up to the front of Texas' saddle before clicking her heels against Texas' side to get the president's horse to move forward. Texas begins running down the hallway after his handler, intent on pleasing Sacagawea and retrieving Teddy from the dangerous animal that was carrying the president around. Hey, to Texas, the zebra _does_ look frightening carrying Teddy at such high speeds at such a dangerous angle.

"We must save our liege!" Octavius shouts from the back of the zebra, kicking his sandals against the zebra's flanks.

"We're a-comin', Teddy! Don't ya worry 'bout a thing!" Jedediah calls to him, watching as Teddy gives up on trying to escape from under the zebra.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Teddy mumbles, especially seeing as how the zebra is getting closer to the stairs.

"Teddy, I'm going to throw you a rope!" Sacagawea calls out to her love, grabbing the rope Teddy keeps in Texas' saddlebag.

"All right! Be careful, Sacagawea; Texas can get pretty spooked when I'm in danger," Teddy remarks, doing his best to look at Sacagawea from under the zebra.

He can't quite manage this, though and end up getting a face full of zebra tail in his face and mouth. Sacagawea grabs the rope in her hand before wrapping a bit of it around her hand to hold onto before tossing the rest towards the zebra. Jedediah does the same, getting his rope caught around the other zebra's head; Sacagawea is able to get her lasso around the zebra's neck since she has longer arms, which makes the zebra sharply stop in the middle of the hallway. Teddy gently starts to detach himself but ends up falling off from under the zebra on his back, making Sacagawea jump off of Texas and head over to her president love.

"Teddy? Are you all right, darling?" Sacagawea inquires in concern, leaning down and helping Teddy sit up slowly.

"I believe I am fine, Sacagawea. You did a wonderful rescue job, my love," he softly says before pressing a light kiss to her hand since they are being watched by Jedediah and Octavius. "And thank you, Jedediah and Octavius. Your rescue work is much appreciated also, my good friends," Teddy continues, turning to give a salute to both men.

"It was a pleasure, Teddy, my liege," Octavius bows with a smile.

"Wasn't a problem at all, Teddy Bear," Jedediah responds before immediately realizing his mistake.

Octavius shoots daggers at him with his eyes, which doesn't make Jedediah feel any better about the situation.

Teddy takes a moment to completely realize what it is that Jedediah has said.

"What did you just say, lad?" the president calmly asks, hoping he heard wrong.

Teddy didn't think anyone knew of Sacagawea's secret nickname for him. If someone does…..

 _"_ _Oh, no! What else have the others seen or heard?" Teddy inquires in his head, not wanting some of his more tender moments with Sacagawea- like their kiss last night- to be exposed to the entire museum._

"Didn't say nothin'," Jedediah falsely says and hopes his little white lie goes through unchallenged.

"Oh, yes. You did, Jedediah. Please tell me where you heard Sacagawea call that nickname of mine," Teddy says in his no-nonsense tone of voice, which he uses frequently.

"Um—Well, ya see, Teddy….. I, uh," Jedediah stumbles, not wanting to give himself or Octavius away due to their adventure in the air ducts where they spied on Teddy and Sacagawea kissing. On the lips.

"He heard Lady Sacagawea use that nickname right now," Octavius comes to Jedediah's rescue, much to the cowboy's rescue.

Fortunately for Jedediah, Sacagawea also backs him up, not wanting Teddy to have to go into his invasion of people's privacy speech. Again. For the second time this week. Teddy had to give the talk to Larry when the night guard snuck up on Teddy and Sacagawea when the president was telling Sacagawea how she shines brighter than any of the star and certainly brightens his night. The second time he gave the speech this week was to a couple of the Vikings who happened to rush in on Ahkmenrah and Hannah watching a movie in the Security Office and both of them were nearly asleep under a blanket since it was close to two in the morning. They are an over three-thousand-year-old Egyptian Pharaoh and a college student who is almost finished with her sophomore year of college; they are allowed their rest and to become tired like other people. Plus, the Vikings also had almost seen Teddy and Sacagawea kiss- on the lips- and Teddy wouldn't stand for that fact to circle the museum in less than a night.

"I am sure Jedediah and Octavius both just heard me call you that name, Teddy. Do not worry; they will not tell a single other exhibit about our secret name for one another," Sacagawea insists, which makes Teddy feel a little bit better.

"Do you lads promise to keep this to yourselves?" Teddy asks in all seriousness.

"You have my word, my liege," Octavius promises once more.

"These lips are sealed, Teddy. No problems from me," Jedediah assures with a thumbs up.

"Good. Now, what are we doing tonight?" the president inquires.

"Well, I had a few ideas….." Ahkmenrah smiles before trailing off as he and Hannah approach Sacagawea, Octavius, Teddy, and Jedediah.

With that, the Pharaoh takes off towards the other end of the hallway, near where Sacagawea resides during the museum's business hours.

Ahkmenrah reaches the American History Room before anyone else and the other find him sitting in the seat of the money carriers' carriage.

"Well, what are you waiting on? Everyone choose a mode of transportation," Ahkmenrah smiles, his green eyes lighting up in mischief.

"What are we doing?" Sacagawea inquires, taking Teddy's outstretched hand as the president swings her up to sit behind him on Texas.

"Yes, Ahkmenrah. What do you have planned?" Hannah questions, swinging her right leg up onto the carriage as she sits down next to her Pharaoh boyfriend.

"I bet somethin' cool," Jedediah smirks, noticing the smirk on Ahkmenrah's face.

"I hope his definition of cool is unlike yours, Jedediah. Your definition almost gets us killed, my friend," Octavius remarks before Jedediah can retort as he sees the cowboy getting ready to speak about being offended.

"That's the only true way for us to have fun in this museum, Toga Boy," Jed laughs as he finds them a small carriage with two buckskin stallions attached to it. "I guess ya set this out for us, Ahk?" Jedediah inquires.

"Yes, I did. Now, I figured we could have a chariot race around this hallway," Ahkmenrah admits to his friends and girlfriend. "I already have convinced everyone to clear out of the hallway where we can have our race," the young Egyptian directs to Teddy, knowing that this would be Teddy's question.

"Good lad. Now, where shall we start this race?" Teddy asks, beginning to walk Texas towards the door to the American History Room.

"I thought we should start at the hallway near the stairs and then run towards the elevator as the stopping point," Ahkmenrah suggests, following Teddy's lead into the hallway and making sure not to crush Jedediah, Octavius, or the two miniature stallions under the carriage's wheels.

"I think we should go around more than once, my liege," Octavius adds in, wanting to actually feel like he is back in Rome riding chariots.

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's just try not to let anyone fall down the stairs," Hannah remarks with a slight laugh, thinking of the one time Larry fell down the stairs while chasing Dexter for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I agree. That would not be good for anyone," Teddy agrees, nodding along as he settles Texas down as they near the unofficial starting line.

"Now, are there any rules?" Sacagawea questions, not wanting anyone to feel at a disadvantage.

"Naw! There aren't no rules in racin'!" Jedediah whoops, watching as the buckskin stallions paw the ground with their hooves.

"Just one that I can think of. Don't hit one another out of the chariot," Ahkmenrah decides, thinking back to his childhood in Egypt when he and Kahmunrah would race chariots in the desert. (This was before they hated one another.)

"Sounds like a fair rule," Octavius smiles, taking the reins from Jedediah, much to the cowboy's disappointment.

"All right, who's going to count us down?" Hannah speaks up, watching as Ahkmenrah grasps the reins in his tanned, slightly calloused hands as he prepares to send the horses running.

"I'll do it!" Jedediah excitedly yells. "Three! Two! One an' go!" he shouts out in an excited voice, urging Octavius to hit the reins against the horses already and go.

They would need ever advantage they could get when racing against full-sized horses.

The race starts, everyone has smiles on their faces. Sacagawea wraps her arms around Teddy from behind, resting her head against Teddy's shoulder, much to Teddy's approval and excitement. Jedediah shouts instructions at Octavius to which the Roman shouts back his own directions to the cowboy.

"Do me the favor of shutting your mouth, Jedediah! I grew up in Rome; I know how to drive a chariot!" Octavius shouts over the noise of the horses' hooves.

"Well, ya can't ride a horse," Jedediah barely mumbles under his breath.

"I heard that," Octavius says in a monotone, unamused voice while keeping his eyes on the path ahead of him.

"Ahkmenrah, where did you learn how to drive a chariot like this?" Hannah wonders aloud as she watches Ahkmenrah hit the reins against the horses' sides once more to get them to go just a bit faster.

"Well, believe it or not, my love, part of my training in my childhood was to learn how to drive a chariot in case I was ever in war or some other situation that required a chariot," Ahkmenrah answers with a smile, thinking back on the fond memory. "My father said I was the best young chariot racer he had ever seen," the young king smiles, remembering how happy he had been to hear that from Merenkahre.

"I would say that your training came along very well, Ahkmenrah. You're a great chariot driver," Hannah smiles at him as her blue eyes watch as the Pharaoh puts on a concentrated and determined face as he edges ahead of Teddy, Sacagawea, and Texas.

"Thank you, Hannah. Now, hold on; I'm about to add on an extra speed boost to try and get in the lead," Ahkmenrah smirks, knowing one of the best tricks in the chariot racing book.

The two black stallions that Ahkmenrah has hooked up to the chariot- two of the ones Cecil used when trying to steal the Tablet of Ahkmenrah- charge ahead and run at full speed towards the elevator. If only Ahkmenrah could have predicted what could have come out of the elevator…

Coming out of the elevator is someone that cannot seem to get out of the way fast enough, no matter the situation. Said person crashes to the ground as soon as Ahkmenrah slows the horses and carriage down so fast the horses slam their chests into the unsuspecting pedestrian.

"Ow! What the-" the person who has been violently been throw back into the elevator groans as he turns over onto his back. "What are you guys doing?!" Larry all but screams, looking up to see Ahkmenrah, Hannah, Teddy, Sacagawea, Octavius, and Jedediah having what seems to be a chariot race down the hallway.

"We're havin' a chariot race, Gigantor," Jedediah remarks in a deadpan voice as if this is the most-known fact in the world.

"I am sorry, Guardian of Brooklyn for injuring you. I really did not mean to hit you with the horses," Ahkmenrah apologizes, bowing his head in shame. "Or have them place hoof-prints on your back and face," the Pharaoh barely whispers as he feels like he may laugh.

He generally didn't like to see _anyone_ in pain. But…. The total unexpectedness of the attack on Larry had been _pretty_ funny. Okay, it had been _hilarious_ to all those watching. Even Teddy and Sacagawea had cracked smiles at the whole ordeal.

"You guys know better!" Larry yells, barely managing to get up, his face already bruising up. "Hannah, Teddy, Sacagawea, Octavius, and Ahkmenrah, you five know better! I expected more from the five of you," Larry practically spits, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.

"We're not children, Laredo!" Jedediah yells back at the night guard before turning his and Octavius' chariot around and racing towards the stairs. "Come on, ya slowpokes!" he laughs, which makes Ahkmenrah and Teddy softly click the reins against their respective horses.

Leaving Larry alone. And mad. Not a good combination, but what could they do? Jedediah was going to win the race if they stopped to talk to or check on Larry? Yes, it may seem a little cruel, but Larry's been through worse and has still been just fine. A certain encounter with Attila and limb ripping, for example…

At the end of the night, Ahkmenrah and Hannah had won three of the chariot races. Octavius and Jedediah won two races, as did Sacagawea and Teddy. The exhibits and one human start to head back to the American History Room to put back the "chariot" and money carrier horses and drop off Sacagawea at her exhibit as it is nearly sunrise.

"I had a lot of fun," Hannah admits, taking Ahkmenrah's outstretched hand as he offers it to her.

"Me too, Guardian of My Heart," Ahkmenrah smiles before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as is customary as his way of saying goodnight- or rather, good morning. "I shall see you again tonight after hours, Hannah. Stay safe, my love," the Pharaoh whispers, pressing his tanned hand against Hannah's pale cheek.

"Well, sunrise is almost upon us," Teddy announces, taking one look at his pocket-watch before pressing a kiss to Sacagawea's hands. "I shall see you all tonight. Jedediah, Octavius, I can give you two a ride back to the Hall of Miniatures if you'd both like," Teddy offers, extending his hand to the two miniature men.

"Thank you, Teddy," Octavius says in gratitude, climbing onto Teddy's gloved hand.

"Yeah. Mighty grateful for the lift, Teddy," Jedediah remarks, pulling the chariot up behind him on Teddy's hand.

"Good morning, Teddy. Sleep well," Sacagawea sweetly remarks, blowing Teddy an air kiss as she steps into her case.

"I shall. Sweet dreams to you as well," Teddy grins like a schoolboy in love.

"Can we do this again tomorrow night? Huh? Huh?" Jedediah excitedly asks, bouncing up and down on Teddy's hand.

"We'll see," Teddy winks, happy with how the night turned out.

Everyone in the room laughs before heading separate ways before sunrise hits the museum.

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 8! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; I loved writing this one as well. This is one of my consistently favorite stories to write. I just have so much fun with these characters! Shout-out to my sister for suggesting the part with Teddy "riding" the zebra. We thought that would be a funny addition to the chapter. The rest of the chapter is a surprise to her, too. I had to make sure she wasn't taking peeks at my laptop as I was typing this. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed, and I hope to hear what you girls and guys thought of this chapter! Your reviews are always amazing; I appreciate each and every one of them and each and every one of you who read this story. Until Chapter 9, my dear readers!**

 _P.S. I once again got this up on Monday like I promised! This is the only story I have actually gotten to write on the day I appointed the day of the week for. I think it turned out well for a five hour chapter. Don't you?_


	9. Searching for Teddy and Selfie Showdown

**Chapter 9**

 **Disclaimer: I still only own any OCs that appear in this story. We all are familiar with the fact that if I owned Night at the Museum instead of 20** **th** **Century Fox that I would change a few things. Namely making this story into either a movie or a TV show….. I dedicate this chapter to Robin Williams, the genius behind Teddy Roosevelt. Rest in peace, Robin.**

When night breaks over the Museum of Natural History, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah begins to bring their entire private world to life. The lions can be heard roaring in the Hall of African Mammals, no doubt having to hold it in all day during the three school tours. Some children could be so annoying to the great cats of the savannah; the lionesses and lion alike wish they could chase the schoolchildren that have the audacity to disrespect the Hall of African Mammals and its inhabitants. Most children could be tolerated, especially those that actually knew something about the majestic creatures within the room and the kids that weren't afraid to ask Rebecca, Hannah, or another tour guide questions. But, that is another matter entirely… Horses begin to pound their hooves against the ground, as is their nightly routine. Hannah begins to head around to Sacagawea's case to let out the Shoshone woman. The college sophomore had the brilliant idea to get a new set of keys made for Sacagawea's case where either herself or Teddy could let Sacagawea out every night; Larry couldn't very well break the glass every night and expect Dr. McPhee to keep him employed. Without Hannah here tonight due to having three of her college classes tomorrow, that job falls on Teddy for tonight. Speaking of, he should have been there by now…

Meanwhile, Octavius stretches his limbs as he starts the night by moving to command his troops. The Roman general wants to make sure his army is prepared for any unforeseen battle that could commence at any time. In addition, Octavius intends on assuring himself that his soldiers are still going to follow his orders even though he has been absent for the past few nights due to his car accident injury.

"Attenti!" Octavius shouts the Roman command for attention over the voices of his men as they talk about anything and everything as the night begins.

All of the soldiers instantly turn to face their great General Octavius, weapons ready at their sides for any combat practice that could follow. Octavius grins at their enthusiasm for combat practice and their discipline to respond to orders so quickly.

"Presentat arms!" Octavius then calls in his commanding voice, using the Roman army's command for present arms.

All of the men under Octavius' command pull out their swords, standing ready for their general to command them what to do next. Octavius then begins to give commands to his soldiers in Latin- the other two commands were Italian, not that Octavius would ever admit to such a thing. What the soldiers didn't know about the commands they were given wouldn't kill them…..

"Forma duo finis!" comes Octavius' next command as he begins to put his legions through their battle training.

All the men in the Roman legion begin to follow the general's command in the blink of an eye, forming two perfectly straight lines to wait for Octavius' next order. There never has been- and never will be- any debate on the true skill General Gaius Octavius in commanding legions of any size or skill level. Most of the men such as Armenius and Cato (the two youngest men in Octavius' legion) were not as skilled as they are now when they first came to Octavius. The famous Roman general was able to train all of them to follow his instructions in Latin down to the very letter, not differing one iota from his plan. Octavius also was able to get an advantage on almost all of the other inhabitants of the museum that do not speak Latin- most of the cowboys included- while in the heat of battle. His commands could be shouted above the noise of the opposing troops, which lead to more victories in his favor. Not that Octavius would ever brag to Jedediah about this, but the darker-haired man would have more victories on his record in the fifty-two and a half years' war the Romans and cowboys fought amongst one another.

With the army now in two separate lines, Octavius has ensured that each man now has a battle partner in which to spar against tonight. Oddly enough, Octavius found himself matched up with his best friend in the Roman diorama- Jedediah holds the right of being his best friend in the museum. Marcus and Octavius are across from another in the battle line and both men know they are in the fight of their lives. While very aware they would never fight each other, especially not on opposite side of the battlefield, neither Octavius nor Marcus are going to take it easy on the other man. Both have a sense of pride, dignity, and a competitive nature that comes close to Jedediah's own competitive spirit.

"Impetus!" Octavius shouts with a smile on his face, giving his men permission to begin attacking one another for their training.

Octavius then begins to swipe at Marcus, which makes the slightly younger man jump back to avoid the blade of Octavius' sword.

"Octavius, you are going to regret crossing blades with me, my liege!" Marcus playfully teases, knowing very well that Octavius can beat him just as quickly as he can breathe.

"Marcus, you shall see just how wrong you are!" Octavius teases back, clashing his sword against Marcus', producing a harsh metal clang that reverberates in the diorama.

So far, training the army tonight has been one of the better training sessions Octavius has ever had.

On the other side of the tunnel, Jedediah and his men are working on the railroad while the women and children are working on cleaning the laundry and making sure that no one gets hurt while working on the railroad. Some of the men are just haphazard with where they place their tools for the railroad. Jedediah nearly impaled his foot with a nail one night if Octavius' sharp eyes and quick mind hadn't helped to push the blonde cowboy out of his current path. There are certain nights where Octavius and Jedediah adventure to help one another with each other's respective diorama. Jedediah attempts to try and help Octavius with the army, the key word being _attempts._ Used to hearing their commands in Latin and coming from Octavius, most of the men do not really understand most of what Jedediah is talking about most of the time when he attempts to give them orders like Octavius. The blonde cowboy frequently voices his distaste at this situation to Octavius. Rather loudly, the Roman general would add if anyone ever asked him about the situation. Other nights, Octavius will find himself in the middle of the Western diorama helping Jedediah and the other railroad works construct their pride and joy, the railroad that Jedediah claims will come to be known as the Transcontinental Railroad. While the blonde insists that Octavius helps on the railroad's actual building process, the Roman general is much happier and feels safer just giving instructions and helpful advice while also acting as a medic of sorts if one of the men was to get hurt while using the dynamite or other dangerous equipment.

"All right, boys!" Jedediah calls out as he starts to head over to the railroad, his famous black Stetson resting squarely on his head as he rubs his hands on a small towel across his face to wipe off the sweat. "We got us a railroad to build! Now, I don't wanna see no slackin' tonight!" he continues to direct towards his men and fellow cowboys. "We're a few nights behind schedule due to the accident Octavius and I were in and buildin' the tunnel, but we'll make it up tonight," Jedediah confidently smiles, his blue eyes housing their usual expression Jedediah gets when he's confident or stubborn about a particular move or plan.

"What do ya want us all to do, Jed?" Shane, Jedediah's brown-haired second in command inquires as he swings himself down from his chestnut stallion.

"All righty, boys, it's assignment time!" Jedediah yells over the commotion and various other voices that are speaking in the Western diorama.

Everyone falls silent at the leader's announcement and everyone has his or her attention on the famous Western legend and cowboy.

"Now, Shane, you take Bruce, Will, an' Wyatt to work on clearin' any o' the vegetation that may still be near the tracks or the tunnel we worked so hard on," the blonde instructs, receiving a salute from Shane as the brunette does what is asked of him by gathering up Bruce, Will, and Wyatt. "Wayne, you gather up Houston, Dallas, an' Marshall and y'all can get to work on layin' the foundation for the tracks on the Eastern side o' the diorama. That leaves John, Roy, and Casey with me to work with the dynamite. All right, boys; you know your jobs! Now, split up an' make ol' Jedediah proud!" Jedediah instructs, gathering his own team before heading off towards his part of the diorama where he would be working.

"Hey, wait up, Uncle!" Roy shouts as he comes running over from the stables where he was brushing Jedediah's paint stallion, Lightning.

True to his words, Roy is Jedediah's nephew, though he has more of a father-son bond with the infamous Jedediah Smith. Roy's father was Jedediah's brother Austin- Jedediah and Austin had been inseparable as kids, often playing in the creek or fields together- and his mother had been a young woman by the name of Katherine. Now, Jedediah loved his brother to death and found Katherine to be the best fit for his younger brother in the whole world. The young brown-haired and blue-eyed young woman had quick wits, was an amazing cook, and could do just about anything the men did on the open plains. To Austin's and Jedediah's horror, Katherine died when Roy was just a small boy of four due to a severe case of pneumonia. Austin and Roy were distraught and obviously so; Jedediah also took her death to his heart, feeling as if it was all his fault. He was the one who called the shots on where to move people during his visits back home in Jericho, New York. Though he rarely visited once he got out on the Western plains, getting too caught up in the life on the plain and exploring the Rocky Mountains while building railroad lines and naming the town of Cache Valley, Utah himself. Then, at the age of ten, Roy lost his father Austin in a mysterious shooting. Jedediah had been home during that night and heard the gunshots echoing through the area near his guest bedroom in Austin's house. Leaping to his feet, Jedediah had found Austin lying in a pool of his own blood with a bullet in the middle of his chest.

"Take good care of Roy an' keep him in line. Ya hear, Jedediah?" Austin had said with his last breath as Jedediah cradled his younger brother in his arms one last time as Austin's blood stained Jed's blue shirt a dark crimson.

"I hear ya, Austin. I'll keep Roy safe and sound, boy. Don't ya worry about him," Jedediah had barely whispered, tears staining his cheeks as they dripped from his light blue eyes.

With that, Austin took his last breath and Jedediah vowed to find Austin's killer and avenge his brother's death. Jedediah never found the murderer in his past life before becoming a museum exhibit along with Roy. Now, at the age of seventeen and a half, Roy has grown into a strong, tall young man with striking blonde hair and light blue eyes, much like his father and Uncle Jedediah. Though, to be fair, Katherine also had blue eyes, which were the first physical attribute that made Austin fall in love with her.

"Roy, ya better get your butt out here, boy, 'fore I make ya clean Lightning's saddle, too!" Jedediah calls over his shoulder in a teasing tone, watching as Roy runs up behind him.

Next, Jedediah catches Roy by the boy's blue bandana before shining his head with one hand, making Roy laugh while trying to escape his uncle's grip.

"I'm here now, Uncle Jedediah. Now, let's get started!" Roy grins, breaking free of Jedediah's arms before running over to where John and Casey are waiting for him.

Jedediah can't help but laugh at his nephew's spirit. He'd raised a fine boy once he was tasked with being the boy's role model and caregiver; Jedediah is sure Austin and Katherine would be proud of the man their Roy has become over the years.

Later on in the night, around midnight in the Museum of Natural History, Jedediah decides that he and his men have done enough work on the railroad for tonight. Shane's group has cleared out all of the vegetation that had been blocking any new tracks; Wayne and his men laid all of the foundations like Jedediah had asked. Jedediah's group had made a bit of progress with the dynamite, being able to blow a small hole in the mountain they've been working on since Larry arrived as night guard. And then, the inevitable happened. Jedediah ran out of dynamite and would have to wait until he had new supplies of dynamite to continue his quest of Manifest Destiny as he explains it to Octavius, Larry, and anyone else who asked why Jedediah insists on finishing the railroad.

"That's it for tonight! You're free to go, boys!" Jedediah announces, wiping his forehead with his bandanna before heading for the tunnel connecting the Western diorama to the Roman diorama.

Several of his men follow him, wanting to travel to Rome for the night to talk to some of Octavius' soldiers; other Roman and cowboy friendships have formed since Octavius and Jedediah made peace between the civilizations almost a year and a half ago. Reaching the Roman diorama, Jedediah hears Octavius' voice continuing to call out commands to his army in Latin.

"Moveo!" Octavius calls out, which is the command he uses to tell his armies to march forward according to the pace he set many years ago near when the tablet first came to the museum.

"Ockie!" Jedediah shouts over the sound of the soldiers' feet marching against the stone floor of the Roman diorama.

"Consiste!" the Roman general now commands, his voice containing a bit of annoyance as he has to tell his legions to halt.

"What are ya stoppin' for, Toga Boy? That was some great footwork ya had 'em doin'!" the blonde cowboy praises while coming to a stop beside Octavius while overlooking the army from a slight vantage point in the middle of the diorama.

"Rompere le righe!" comes Octavius' next command, which gives the men under his command permission to break ranks and drop out of their normal legion formation. "Dimitto!" Octavius yells next, which dismisses all of his soldiers for the night.

The Roman general then turns towards his cowboy friend with a slightly mad expression on his face.

"Jedediah, how many times must I ask you to not interrupt me when I am training my army during my designated time?" Octavius questions in an even tone, trying not to show his annoyance to his best friend and now brother.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ockie. I already know not to interrupt ya!" Jedediah insists, waving his hand to pass Octavius' statement off. "But, it's close to midnight, kemosabe. Ya usually train the army from eight to eleven thirty," the cowboy grins, knowing that Octavius will never argue with his self-imposed schedule. "'Sides, we need to have some sort of fun tonight!" Jedediah grins, which makes Octavius smile as well, knowing that he has trained the army an appropriate amount of time tonight.

"That is true. So, what is on the schedule for tonight?" Octavius inquires as he and Jedediah head towards the edge of the Roman diorama where their Jeep is waiting for them.

"I don't know yet. I was startin' to think of somethin'" Jedediah begins before being cut off by someone else talking.

"Octavius and Jedediah, have you two perhaps seen Teddy this evening?" Sacagawea inquires, coming up beside the two miniatures with a distraught look on her face.

"I haven't seen 'im, Sacagawea," Jedediah honestly remarks while climbing into the driver's seat of the Jeep.

"Neither have I, my lady. Have you not seen him at all this evening, either?" Octavius asks in concern for the president and the museum's father-like figure.

"No, I haven't," comes Sacagawea's quiet response as she swipes a piece of her hair away from her face, looking like she is on the verge of tears. "Ahkmenrah was the one who let me out of my case tonight around eleven. You know it's not like Teddy to forget about me," the Shoshone woman continues, her breath hitching as she thinks of a scenario. "You don't think he's outside, do you?" she asks in a horror-filled voice, hoping this not to be true.

"I don't think that Teddy would wander outside, Sacagawea. He knows better than to be outside," Octavius assures, which he hopes makes Sacagawea feel a little bit better.

"Yeah, Sacagawea! Ya know that your Teddy Bear wouldn't just forget about ya," Jedediah supplies in what he believes is a helpful statement.

"He must be hurt somewhere!" Sacagawea suddenly gasps, her hand instinctively going up to her mouth. "I'll check around downstairs! Can you two handle this floor for me?" she all but pleads while sprinting towards the stairs.

"That we can do," Octavius assures, happy to be of assistance.

"Don't ya worry 'bout a thing, Sacagawea," Jedediah tells her in a confident tone. "Teddy is as good as found!" he then follows up his previous statement before turning the key in the ignition of the Jeep and speeding off down the hallway with Octavius in the passenger seat.

With that, the search for Teddy begins in the Museum of Natural History, with nearly everyone helping out.

After about twenty minutes of driving down the hallway, Jedediah and Octavius still have found no sign of Teddy. They both hope that Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah are having better luck downstairs- the two of them had formed the second search party with Rexy, Kumari the tigress, Lewis, and Clarke while a third group consisted of Attila, the other Huns, and Columbus; the men were searching the third floor. However, Octavius and Jedediah know their hopes are futile, as they both know that if Sacagawea had found her president boyfriend that she would have run up the stairs to tell them to call of their search. With a disappointed growl, Jedediah cuts off the motor of the Jeep and allows himself and Octavius to sit in the car in silence, neither one of them capable of expressing their feelings at this moment. If the museum was to lose Teddy…. No one in the museum wants to think about what like would be like without their calm, funny, and always loyal leader that would instantly drop what he was doing to help anyone of them. Teddy is the backbone of their museum family, always has been, always will be.

"What if we can't find him, Ockie? What do I tell Sacagawea then?" Jedediah whispers, unable to bring himself to say something else that is more depressing than what he's already said.

"Be quiet," Octavius commands in a low voice before making a shushing noise while putting his finger up to his lips.

"Did you just tell me to be quiet? Ain't nobody gonna tell Jedediah Smith to be quiet, boy!" Jedediah starts to yell, not appreciating Octavius trying to be dominant in this conversation and in their brotherhood.

"Yes, I did tell you to be quiet, Jedediah. I am going to tell you again to be quiet. I am pretty sure I heard something, my friend!" Octavius quickly says, his ears waiting for any news, no matter how slight.

The two miniatures wait for any movement or noise for about two minutes before another noise catches both of their attention. Someone groans from nearby and sounds like he or she is in some very deep pain. Jedediah kicks the car into high gear, racing towards whatever noise and trying to find the source of said noise.

"Where is that noise even comin' from, Ockie?" Jedediah inquires in confusion, not quite sure where the noise is coming from and wants to get to the root of the problem soon.

"I believe it is coming from the bathroom, Jedediah. We must venture into the bathroom to see if anyone is hurt in there and needs our assistance!" the Roman shouts, grabbing his helmet from the backseat where he can jump out of the car when Jedediah pulls it to a stop.

Upon entering the bathroom, all Octavius and Jedediah see is a large silhouette of someone lying face-down on the tiled, cold bathroom floor. Both men gasp upon seeing whoever it is- right now that does not matter- with a few cuts and bruises prominent on the side of his or her face and somewhat on his or her back. Jedediah exchanges a slightly confused and concerned look as they approach the body while both of their breaths hitch in their throats. What they find horrifies them.

"Oh, my Jupiter! Jedediah, we need some assistance!" Octavius freaks out upon seeing who it is.

"Aw, man, Ockie! This is not good! I'mma go and try to find us some help!" Jedediah starts to ramble, not quite sure why this had to happen to the person lying on the floor. "You stay here with him!"

With that, Jedediah takes off down the hallway to try and find someone to help him and Octavius. The Roman then tries his best to lift the person on the ground's head to try and merit some sort of response from the figure lying face down.

"Teddy, my liege, can you hear me?" Octavius inquires, getting out a small rag before pouring water on it from one of the canteens Jedediah always brings with them.

"Octavius?" Teddy whispers, his voice hoarse and pained as he tries his best to roll over to look at the miniature Roman sitting near him.

"Yes, Teddy, it is I. Now, why are you lying in the bathroom floor, my liege?" Octavius asks in concern while wiping the small amount of clotted blood from the side of Teddy's face.

"It hurts," Teddy groans, closing his eyes to try and block out some of the pain.

"What hurts, Teddy? I need you to try and tell me," Octavius whispers, not wanting to alarm Teddy any more than is necessary.

"My neck," Teddy softly says back, his eyes remaining closed as an unbearable pain shoots through his head. "I tried to come and get Sacagawea from her case," he continues before stopping suddenly to hiss at the pain when he tries to move his head and neck. "I couldn't. I fell down in the hallway, but couldn't get up. I dragged myself in here," Teddy quietly remarks, not being able to get his voice to its usual strength and tone.

"Why did no one find you, Teddy?" Octavius inquires, wanting to piece together all of the information he can about the situation before help arrives with Jedediah.

The Roman has absolute confidence and belief that Jedediah will return with help as soon as possible and that they will get Teddy taken care of. It's Friday night, meaning that Hannah is staying in her dorm to do any of her homework she has due for her classes on Tuesday. She has worked it out where all of her classes are on Tuesday and Thursday during the day where she can come to the museum during the night on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and after her classes to see all of the museum exhibits like she promised she would do after her first night of meeting them. Ahkmenrah had all but begged to see Hannah again since she was the one who had the idea to free him. Ever since then, the two grew closer and after two months of knowing one another, Ahkmenrah asked Hannah is she would do him the honor of allowing him to court her. Hannah had laughed at his adorable statement before telling him that it is called dating in the modern world. Now, tonight was a different Friday due to the fact that she had to come on Monday to help Octavius and Jedediah after their car crash. Mondays and Wednesdays were her time to sleep at an early time for class the next day and finish up homework she has for the next week. Without her being her, Octavius hopes that Jedediah can find someone like Sacagawea or Ahkmenrah who both have a bit of medical knowledge. Well, Sacagawea has more medical knowledge than Ahkmenrah, but the young Pharaoh has learned quite a bit while either watching or listening to Hannah doing her homework when the doctor-to-be after completing college in about two and a half years and medical school. Octavius continues to tend to Teddy's wounds, hoping help would arrive soon.

Meanwhile in the hallway, Jedediah is jumping in the air to try and get someone's attention to try and come to help Teddy off of the bathroom floor. One look at Teddy's condition and cuts had told Jedediah and Octavius alike that Teddy's injuries were not something to take lightly or dismiss.

"Hey! Attila! Down here, partner!" Jedediah shouts as Attila and the other Huns come running around the corner.

Attila begins to speak in his native language, which is completely lost on Jedediah, not to mention confuses the blonde cowboy as he tries to figure out what the Hun leader is trying to say.

 _"_ _What is the matter, Jedediah? I heard you screaming from downstairs and brought m men to help!"_ Attila says in Hunnic, which is often called Mongolian by most people, which proceeds to make Jedediah more confused than he was.

"Attila, ya need ta listen to me! Teddy's lyin' in the bathroom hurt and someone's gotta stay with him. Me an' Octavius are gonna stay in there, but you need to go get Sacagawea!" Jedediah yells, wanting to get the Hun to understand the urgency of the situation.

"Saca?" Attila inquires, hoping to understand Jedediah a little bit more than he currently is.

Jedediah, though a bit shocked by Attila's ability to pick out Sacagawea's name, excitedly whoops before taking his Stetson and throwing it in the air.

"Yes! Saca is who I need!" Jedediah cheers, glad he was able to get Attila on the same page so to speak. "Go get Saca and bring her up here to me an' Octavius!" the cowboy instructs before watching Attila run towards the staircase that leads down to the lobby.

" _I'll get Saca and return here as soon as I get her!"_ Attila says in Hun, though Jedediah still understands none of the warrior's language.

With that, Attila runs down the stairs, his men and Columbus following behind him. Jedediah now runs back into the bathroom to find Teddy and Octavius in the same positions he found them in not too long ago.

"So, how's he doin', Octavius?" Jedediah asks as he stands near Octavius to look over Teddy's injuries.

"Not very well, I'm afraid," Octavius whispers where he doesn't alert Teddy more than necessary. "He says that his neck hurts very badly and that a pain keeps throbbing through his head whenever he tries to move," the Roman general continues to admit to his best friend as the cowboy does his best to try and help clean Teddy's wounds.

"Whiplash," Jedediah barely mumbles under his breath, his blue eyes clouding over as he says the word.

"What was that, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires, not having heard Jedediah's statement.

"I think Teddy's got a case of whiplash. Will got a mighty bad case of it when ridin' a crazy mustang before we broke the horse in," Jedediah admits, thinking back to all the pain and similar symptoms Will had when he had whiplash. "Will's symptoms were pains in his neck, his head felt like it was gonna explode all the time accordin' ta him, and he was mighty stiff for about a week. It pained him to even move his head to look at us," the cowboy reflects back, starting to think that whiplash is a very serious possibility for Teddy's current state.

"Oh my," Octavius gasps, swallowing the lump forming in his throat as he thinks of the pain Teddy must be in. "I do hope your attempts for help come very soon or else Teddy may soon be lying on the floor into when the museum opens in the morning," the general remarks in a concerned and worried tone.

The two friends wait out the time it takes for Attila to get back with Sacagawea and the others, neither miniature leaving Teddy's side for fear of losing him to the darkness.

Only ten minutes later, Attila comes rushing into the bathroom with Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah not too far behind him.

"Saca!" Attila yells while pointing to Teddy's crumpled form on the floor and receiving two loud shushing sounds from Jedediah and Octavius.

"Teddy Bear!" Sacagawea quietly calls, instantly dropping down to her knees to look over her president love. "What are his symptoms?" the young tracker and guide to Lewis and Clarke inquires, doing her best to prop Teddy's neck and head up from off of the dirty bathroom floor.

"Teddy has a sharp pain in his head that he told me feels like a needle being stabbed into his head. He also told me that his neck hurts very badly," Octavius recites once more, having already told Jedediah this news only ten minutes ago; he's gotten quite well at describing the facts to his friends and fellow museum exhibits. "Lady Sacagawea, Teddy told me to tell you he feels awful for not coming to get you sooner. He was on his way to unlock your case before he fell down and then had to drag himself into the bathroom," the Roman quietly remarks, handing Sacagawea the canteen of water and the sterile rag he has been using to clean Teddy's head and face.

"It's not your fault, Teddy," Sacagawea whispers to him, even though she doesn't quite know if he can hear her.

"We think he has whiplash, Sacagawea," Jedediah reveals, which makes Sacagawea gasp slightly as she thinks of the pain Teddy must be in.

"It must be from the wild ride he had on the chest of that zebra last night and falling on his back on the ground," Sacagawea realizes, wondering why Teddy did not complain of being in any pain last night.

"The chariot races probably did nothing to help his neck, either," Ahkmenrah supplies while giving Attila a soft command in Hun. "Attila and I will carry him into the Security Office where he can rest on the pull-out couch," the Pharaoh tells his friends while having Attila start to gently lift Teddy up from the tiled floor.

With Teddy safely above the ground in Attila's and Ahkmenrah's grips, the group of friends start to head towards the Security Office with Octavius and Jedediah riding on Sacagawea's palm where they don't get left behind.

"Thank you for finding him, Jedediah and Octavius. I am in your debt," Sacagawea gratefully tells both men, pressing a soft kiss to each man's forehead.

"There is no need for a debt, Lady Sacagawea," Octavius insists, not wanting the young woman to believe she owes him and Jedediah anything.

"Yeah, Sacagawea. No reward is necessary. We're just glad we were able to help Teddy. He means a lot to everyone here," Jedediah follows Octavius' statement to let Sacagawea know that she owes them nothing for helping out the museum's resident U.S. president.

"I am so grateful to have the two of you as friends," she then smiles as they get to the bottom of the stairs and head for the Security Office.

When Teddy wakes up, he is rather disoriented. The first thing he experiences is coldness creeping up the back of his neck. He begins to try and remove whatever it is before his hand is gently swatted by Sacagawea.

"Do not remove your ice pack, my love," Sacagawea scolds like she would if speaking to a young child.

"Sacagawea, my dear, I hope you know I never meant to leave you in your case for that long," Teddy begins to apologize before a sharp pain shoots through his head once more, making him drop his head onto the pillow Ahkmenrah has set behind him.

"Teddy, I know that. Octavius told me what you wanted him to. I forgive you, my Teddy Bear. Now, Jedediah believes you have whiplash, so you will need to rest for about a week," she assures Teddy, pressing a gentle kiss to Teddy's cheek before pulling away to grab another pillow from Ahkmenrah who is also standing by the pull-out couch.

"Attila and I carried you into the office, Teddy. Octavius and Jedediah were the ones who found you before having Attila come to get Sacagawea and myself," Ahkmenrah speaks up, sitting on the edge of the couch near Teddy's feet. "Are you feeling any better?" the young king inquires, wanting to know how his father figure is feeling.

"Thanks to the care you and the others are giving me, I already feel somewhat better, Ahkmenrah, my lad," Teddy admits, flashing a small smile at Ahkmenrah, who he regards as a son.

"I'm glad to hear that, Teddy," Ahkmenrah grins back, propping Teddy's legs up on a pillow to try and help the president feel better and elevate his neck as much as possible.

"Lady Sacagawea, do you still need assistance?" Octavius inquires from the coffee table he and Jedediah are sitting on while watching the president, tracker, and Pharaoh interact like a family.

"Yes, Octavius. I still need to find Teddy some pain reliever and I can't quite see all the names of the medicines on the top shelf. If you and Jedediah can look at the medicines for me, I'd appreciate it," Sacagawea explains before extending her hand for Jedediah and Octavius to climb up on before she lifts them to the top shelf.

Octavius and Jedediah climb off onto the shelf before looking at the different medicines that Larry and Hannah have stocked in the museum in case one of the employees- or museum exhibits in this case- need some sort of medicine.

"All righty, let's see what we got up here," Jedediah starts to see before beginning to scan the different medicine labels. "Pepto Bismol?" the cowboy suggests, not sure what in the heck the pink liquid is or what it's used for.

"No, Jedediah. That's what Larry uses for his indigestion," Ahkmenrah calls from the pull-out couch, which makes Jedediah start laughing hysterically at Larry needing to take pink medicine for indigestion.

No one other than Jedediah knows why or thinks that is funny.

"Ibuprofen?" Octavius asks while pulling a white and orange bottle from behind the Pepto Bismol.

"That may have to do if we cannot find any Tylenol, which I feel Hannah and Larry have suggested to Lewis when he had a headache a while ago," Sacagawea answers this time.

"Zy—Zy—Ziratec?" Jedediah tries to pronounce, not sure about the medicine that he's never seen _anyone_ take. Ever.

"It's pronounced Zyrtec, Jedediah," Octavius says matter-of-factly as he pushes the cowboy out of the way to try and see the other medicine available. "And, it would be unbeneficial to Teddy because it is an allergy medicine. Hannah told us that, remember? She used to have to take it," Octavius reminds as he nears the next bottle of medicine.

"Impeccable memory skills, Octavius," Teddy softly speaks up, glad that the general has such a knack for remembering such details.

"Thank you, my liege," Octavius salutes before reading off the next medicine's name. "Tylenol! This is the one you want, Sacagawea!" the Roman announces before sliding the bottle off the edge of the shelf and into Sacagawea's open hand.

"Thank you, Octavius and Jedediah. Now, see if you can find any bandages or ointment for me to nurse Teddy's face wounds," she instructs while watching the two miniatures continue to navigate the shelf.

"Medical sup-please," Jedediah reads off of the big, white box that takes up most of the shelf.

"What? Say that again," Octavius says, not quite sure of what Jedediah is talking about now.

There's no telling…

"Medical sup-please, Ockie! It says it right there on the dumb box!" Jedediah points to the tall lettering above his head, wondering why Octavius can't see that.

"That says medical _supplies,_ Jedediah. What is wrong with you not being able to read tonight?" Octavius wonders aloud while looking at Jedediah with a weird look on the general's face.

"I can so read, Toga Boy! It's just, I don't know how ta pronounce no dumb medicine names!" Jedediah answers back before pulling the box of medical supplies down from the shelf and sends it clattering against the coffee table with a large crash.

"That much is obvious," Octavius remarks under his breath before jumping off the shelf into Ahkmenrah's outstretched hand and standing on the Pharaoh's palm until they reach the couch once more.

With that, Sacagawea begins to give Teddy his Tylenol and has Ahkmenrah, Jedediah, and Octavius begin to treat Teddy's wounds. No one could predict what would come next.

About thirty minutes later, Attila brandishes something shiny from the table nearest the lockers.

"Saca! Saca!" Attila calls before running over to Sacagawea and handing her said shiny item.

"Ahkmenrah, is this what I think it is?" Sacagawea questions, holding the blue and white object in her hand.

"Yes, Sacagawea; it is. Hannah must have left her IPod here when she was leaving work this evening. I was able to hear Dr. McPhee ask her to do a double check on the Hall of African Mammals after some tour group supposedly ran into the lion statues, so I guess she just forget the device," Ahkmenrah replies, a smile on his face as he types in Hannah's IPod password to put on some of the music she has allowed him to download for himself and the other museum exhibits.

She has many other songs, thousands to be exact, but there are a few songs on there for just the inhabitants of the museum, such as a few Korean songs for Attila- no one is quite sure why the leader of the Huns is fond of Korean pop music.

"Hey! I've got an idea!" Jedediah announces, jumping onto the table in front of Ahkmenrah with a smile on his lips and a mischievous look in his blue eyes.

"That's not good," Octavius says quietly, now thinking that Jedediah is planning something. Again.

"Why don't we call Madison an' check in on 'er?" Jedediah suggests, already hopping on the contacts button before making his way down to the name Madison on Hannah's iPod.

"Jedediah, it is already almost midnight back in Hannah's hometown," Ahkmenrah responds, having found the time on the world clock and knowing from hearing Hannah mention it once before.

"Yes, my friend. I am sure Madison is already asleep due to her no doubt busy and hard-working day at school," Octavius adds in, knowing that Madison is now a sophomore in high school.

He can remember that because Hannah is now a sophomore in college and Madison is the same name as her older sister just in high school instead of college.

"Nah! She'll still be up! That girl loves the night life just as much as any of us!" Jedediah grins, knowing Madison very well since Hannah talks to her every Friday night at the museum.

Hannah talks to her every night back at her dorm, but on Friday, she typically lets the museum exhibits talk to her younger sister since Madison met the museum exhibits on her visit to Hannah in New York about a year ago. In addition, Jedediah and Madison act so much alike when the two of them are together that, frankly, it scares both Octavius and Hannah. Especially when the two of them are scheming things….. Such as the one time when they pranked Larry by tying the night guard's keys to the mammoth's tail.

"Be that as it may, Jedediah, I am sure she is sleeping since she is back at home," Sacagawea says as the voice of reason.

"I'mma call her anyway!" Jedediah announces, jumping on the key to call Madison from Hannah's iPod.

"Let them call Madison!" Teddy shouts in a loopy voice as he is not quite yet used to taking modern medicine.

Who knew Tylenol would have such an amusing effect on the twenty-sixth president of the United States of America?

Everyone sort of stares at Teddy in confusion, which makes Teddy burst out into laughter at all the weird looks he is receiving from his friends.

It only takes about thirty seconds for Madison to pick up the iPod call.

"Hey, people!" Madison excitedly says, her blonde hair and blue eyes filling the screen as she waves from the other screen, which sort of prompts Attila into a screaming fit.

You'd think after all the times they've called and talked to Madison on Hannah's iPod that he would finally not be shocked by seeing her face on the screen.

"Hello, Lady Madison," Octavius greets, smiling his adorable smile at the fifteen-year-old girl on the other screen.

"Hi, Octavius," Madison smiles back, waiting on the greetings from the others, knowing that everyone _always_ insists on talking to _her_ first before _she_ talks to _them._

"Hello, dearest Madison," Ahkmenrah grins, flashing a dazzling smile at his girlfriend's younger sister.

"It is nice to see you again, Madison," Sacagawea softly says into the camera, knowing that there is too much going on in the frame.

"Sain uu!" Attila shouts while waving his hands all around, not quite knowing where Madison is but wanting the young girl to see him wherever she is.

Watching Attila with technology is about the equivalent of giving a dog peanut butter: entertaining and hilarious for hours on end.

"He said hello," Ahkmenrah translates quietly, not wanting Attila to take offense to Madison not knowing too much of the Hun language.

After all, they don't just teach Hun in school. In addition, Hannah has been at the museum for over a year and is still learning some more Hun phrases, which Attila is totally okay with. The college student can still understand more of Attila's rants and requests than Larry, so the leader of the Huns considers that a win.

"Howdy, Madison, girl! How are ya doin', my little partner in mischief?" Jedediah grins widely, jumping directly in front of the camera to block out everyone else.

"Jedediah, I thought that was my title!" Octavius frowns as he thinks he is being replaced.

"Heck no, Ockie! You're my partner in crime. Madison is my partner in mischief. Very big difference, kemosabe," Jedediah argues back, not even noticing that Teddy has taken the iPod from its position in front of him.

"Hi, Jedediah! I'm doing good. Just bored out of my mind at school," Madison answers her cowboy friend, having become very close to him in her visits to New York when she has a break from school and can come see Hannah.

"Hannah tells us that you're very good at school, though," Ahkmenrah remarks in a slightly confused tone, not understanding why Madison is bored at school when she gets straight A's every year since she was in kindergarten.

"She also mentioned that you are taking art this year to improve your natural skills," Sacagawea comments, knowing just how much Madison loves to draw.

"Yeah, Ahkmenrah, I am good at school, but that doesn't mean it's interesting," Madison says with a smile, really only liking her History, English, and Art classes at school; Math and Science bore her terribly and she doesn't see how Hannah can stand let alone _love_ those classes. "And, yes, I am taking art at school, Sacagawea. Speaking of, do you want to see my newest piece? I've been working on it all day after school!"

"Show us what ya've got, girl!" Jedediah remarks, pumping his fist in the air, not knowing that Madison cannot see him due to Teddy holding the iPod on the couch with him.

"Hi, girl," Teddy hysterically remarks, his eyes widening as he looks at Madison on the screen for the first time that night.

"Teddy, are you okay? You sound funny tonight," Madison begins to say, confused as to why the president is acting so weird. "It sounds like you're on some sort of loopy gas medicine," she continues, still confused.

"He is," Sacagawea bluntly states, not wanting to waste time by trying to explain the situation in a roundabout way.

"Teddy got whiplash!" Jedediah shouts to make the point clear to the fifteen-year-old girl since he knows no one else would.

"How did that happen?" the high school student asks in amazement and shock, knowing that Teddy is not one to do anything dangerous that could get him seriously hurt like that.

"Well, you see, Lady Madison, we were riding a zebra down the hallway," Octavius begins before getting cut off by both Madison and Jedediah.

"You finally figured out how to ride the zebra?" Madison gasps while remaining impressed.

At the same time as Madison talking, Jedediah makes a comment to the blonde as well: "Yeah! We roped that sucker 'fore climbin' onta it's ear and breakin' down the gate at the Hall of African Mammals!" Jedediah happily recounts last night's exciting memory.

"I got hit," Teddy explains in a loopy voice, still not used to the effect Tylenol has on him. "And then fell off," the president laughs, which gives Sacagawea an instant to take the iPod back from Teddy and hold it near herself, Ahkmenrah, Octavius, and Jedediah.

"He was fine last night," Sacagawea remarks, remembering how Teddy claimed to be fine after she, Jedediah, and Octavius rescued him.

"Then we had seven chariot races, which probably didn't do anything to help his sore muscles," Ahkmenrah softly says while bowing his head to look at his sandals in embarrassment since it was _his_ idea to chariot race.

"Then, Jedediah and I found him nearly passed out in the bathroom floor tonight after I finished training my army and Jedediah finished railroad construction for the night," Octavius ends the story before Attila begins screaming in Hun about something that no one except Ahkmenrah understands.

"Attila says he would like to see your latest artwork that you were talking about earlier," Ahkmenrah translates, which makes Attila smile in gratitude.

"Okay! Well, I'm quite happy with how it's turned out so far," Madison grins widely, brandishing a large piece of paper from her bed to show the museum exhibits.

"Wow!" Jedediah exclaims, pressing his face up to the screen to observe every detail.

"That is spectacular detail, Madison," Sacagawea compliments, noticing the intricate line-work that must have gone into the painting.

"Yes, I agree. It looks just like us!" Octavius grins, noticing that Madison even got the small details of his armor and helmet right.

"You are a phenomenal artist, Madison. I am impressed with your latest work," Ahkmenrah offers in his opinion.

Attila just yells happily; Madison understands to mean that the Hun leader is pleased with her latest painting as well. That leads to Teddy making a non-coherent statement about the work due to the Tylenol still working its way through his system.

"It looks like a finger painting! Look at the rainbow, my dear! I think that's a cat!" Teddy grins while pointing to what is his hat in the painting.

Yep, Teddy's definitely seeing things now.

"Well, we should probably let you go now, Madison," Ahkmenrah remarks, noticing that it is almost twelve-thirty where Madison lives.

"I think Teddy needs to take a nap until the Tylenol wears off," Sacagawea softly says with a smile, knowing that Teddy would die of embarrassment if he knew how crazy and loopy he was being right now.

"Okay! Oh, but one thing first. How many selfies are you guys planning on taking on Hannah's iPod?" Madison inquires with a giggle. "There's like a thousand in my photo gallery from where you keep sending them."

"I think this encompasses some of my best moves," Jedediah grins as he looks at the ones he and the others have sent to Hannah's younger sister in the past. "Not everyone can pull off the look I have going on here," the cowboy brags, which makes Octavius comment back.

"I beg to differ, Jedediah. Anyone can stare off into the distance like that," Octavius argues before doing just that.

The Roman makes looking off into the middle distance seem like an art as he stares at nothing in particular while trying to prove his point.

"Oh, just like anyone can put their hands on their hips to pose?" Jedediah makes his point known before placing his hands on his hips like Octavius does when he's thinking about something.

"You just say that because you're jealous!" Octavius shouts before trying out all his different poses in front of the camera, causing Jedediah to do the same.

"Ha-ha!" Madison laughs hysterically over Face-Time, her face turning red while watching them pose to show her who has better selfie skills. "I've started making a photo book of all the pictures you guys send me; it's pretty funny so far!" she continues laughing, pausing to wipe tears from her blue eyes.

"Burn it. Especially my pictures," Teddy comments from the couch before slipping into sleep due to his exhausting past two days.

That comment merits laughter from everyone in the room before they finally decide to sign off for the night to allow Madison to get some sleep.

The night continues on with Teddy getting better from the Tylenol effect. Never again would Sacagawea allow her president boyfriend to take Tylenol. He would be getting Ibuprofen from now on. Ahkmenrah, Attila, Octavius, and Jedediah continue taking selfies all night long, sending them to Madison's iPod where she can include those pictures in the photo book as well. Now, while technically not a selfie, Ahkmenrah was able to snap a few pictures of Teddy and Sacagawea together, even one of them kissing one another. As the night comes to a close, the Pharaoh places Hannah's iPod back on the table where she left it before helping Attila carry Teddy back to his podium. Then comes the really tricky part for the Hun and the young Egyptian: getting Teddy to sit on Texas' back without falling off. After three attempts, both men finally get Teddy settled before heading to their own exhibits for the day. Jedediah and Octavius return to their dioramas, not without first taking a few more selfies on Hannah's iPod. When Hannah reaches work the next morning and finds her iPod, she notices that now she has more than four-hundred new pictures.

"That's the last time I accidentally leave my iPod at work. Their selfie battle seemed to get pretty intense," Hannah whispers to herself while noticing every set of four pictures was the four men trying to copy one another's pose and do better than the man before him.

She didn't want to know what went on that night to have a picture of Teddy looking like he had drank five cups of coffee. She didn't want to know…

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 9, amazing readers! So, I just got back from the Smithsonian late Monday night! It was a lot of fun, but Larry would not have had time to go to all of those museums and the Lincoln Memorial in an hour! The museums and memorial are like two hours' walking distance from each other. One of the museums- the Museum of Natural History- actually had a Hall of African Mammals! I stayed in there for like an hour and a half taking pictures and relating it to Night at the Museum. Oh, and this chapter was written for all of you who wanted to see Teddy's night after all of his wild adventures. Originally this chapter was just going to be Octavius and Jedediah doing a selfie battle between the two of them and Ahkmenrah, but I love how your, my dear readers, suggestion turned out. Madison is my actual sister and I know how she would have responded to the characters' questions. Thanks for your support, my amazing girls and guys who read this! I'll try to get up one more chapter before school starts on Monday because updates will be less frequent after school starts back! :(**

 _P.S. I don't know Latin or Italian, but I looked up drill commands online for Octavius! I also dedicated this chapter to Robin Williams because it is almost two years since his passing. R.I.P. Robin Williams. You are still missed and we will never forget about you._


	10. Tales of Sorrow

**Chapter 10**

 **Disclaimer: Only the OCs are mine. The rest belong to Twentieth Century Fox.**

It's been a crazy past two months for the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History. May has arrived in New York, meaning the museum no longer has to have as much- if any- heat going through the building. While seeming like such a trivial thing to Larry and a few of the exhibits, the lack of heat and more air means that Attila and the other Huns can play soccer for a long time without overheating thanks to their thick outfits design for their past lives. Teddy took about a week and a half to recover from his whiplash he received thanks to Zeus the zebra. The twenty-sixth president of the United States of America never once blamed the chariot races for a reason why he could have gotten whiplash. Teddy knows that Ahkmenrah already believes that the races and Teddy's whiplash were his fault; the young Pharaoh apologized to his father figure multiple times when he sat in silence with the president. Ahkmenrah feels his emotions towards others in the museum very deeply and more frequently than most of the others; Hannah, Teddy, and Sacagawea suspect it must have to do with the fact that he had his emotions bottled up inside for so long due to being trapped in his sarcophagus for so long in the museum. Also in this time, Larry has quit the museum as the security guard he was for a year and a half before going to become the CEO of his own company Daley Devices. That brought a lot of change for the museum, change that no one was quite ready for. Hannah, ever the busy college sophomore now, has had to make sure her classes are all on Tuesdays and Thursdays where she can come to the museum to work every night except Mondays and Wednesdays when she would do her homework for the next week and sleep in enough time for her classes the next day. On these nights, she leaves Teddy, Sacagawea, and Ahkmenrah in charge; the three mature exhibits seem to keep everyone in line on these nights, even Dexter which proves all of them possess the ability of natural leaders and peacemakers in the museum. This night is one in which Hannah is at the museum, which means she is doing her best to keep everyone occupied. Rexy is being entertained by Ahkmenrah for the evening since no one has seen Octavius or Jedediah tonight; the young Egyptian Pharaoh is currently playing fetch with Rexy with the T-Rex's rib bone and will soon play tug-of-war with the dinosaur with a giant pull rope Hannah bought from the pet store near her college.

Meanwhile, Octavius and Jedediah are having a pretty busy night. Octavius had trained his army for almost four and a half hours, meaning himself and all of his men are completely exhausted. Jedediah, on the other hand, spent two of these four and a half hours helping the women in his diorama clean up a bit; the other cowboys could be _so_ messy some times and Jedediah hates to see the women have to spend nearly all night cleaning up after his messy men. To be honest, most of them never were around many women in the West as far as their past lives were concerned, so some of the cowboys try to take advantage of the fact that the women clean up after them. Then, for the second half of the four and a half hours, Jedediah worked some more on the railroad, making sure to keep the other men in line, particularly Marshall and some of the older man's friends nicknamed 'The Evil Posse' by both Jedediah himself and Roy. Now that they're finished working for the night, Jedediah and Octavius are now resting underneath an oak tree at the top of the mountain Jed and his men have been trying so hard to blow a hole in for their railroad construction. The blonde cowboy often goes up onto the mountain's peak when he wishes to be alone with his thoughts or when Octavius is busy training the Roman army and the other cowboys are doing "some pretty lame things" as Jedediah words it. Both the Roman general and the Western cowboy are asleep under the oak tree. Jedediah is lying on his back with his black Stetson covering his eyes as the cowboy tries to block out the artificial light shining down on him from above. Sometimes the cowboy thinks that the light on the ceiling is just as bright as the actual sun would be on the Western landscape during a hot summer day. Octavius sleeps differently than Jedediah; the general lies on his chest, his chest-plate and helmet sitting off to the right side of him. The Roman general had the sense to take off the heaviest part of his armor and his helmet, knowing very well how he sleeps when given the chance. Octavius always has and probably always will sleep on his chest, having done so since he was a mere boy of two years old. If he is in a bed, which obviously isn't now, Octavius loves to wrap his arms around the pillow, hugging the soft and plush bedding to his face and chest for comfort. Little could calm a soldier, much less a general who has all his soldiers' lives depending on his plans, in his tent during one of the nights not on the battlefield. Octavius always hugged the pillow to him, believing it was those he left back in Rome…. Those he had left and felt terrible for doing so…

 _"_ _How could I have let myself leave?"_ Octavius muses in his head while remaining asleep under the oak tree, Jedediah about five inches away from him as the cowboy continues sleeping as well.

Though it may not seem like a lot to a full-sized human, a five-inch gap is about roughly the size of two miniatures, which gives both Jedediah and Octavius plenty of room to stretch out without having to worry about hitting one another in slumber.

 _"_ _You didn't let yourself leave, Octavius. You were forced to leave. Don't you remember that?"_ another part of Octavius' mind starts to remark to him, sounding an awful lot like Jedediah.

The fact that his inner conscience is starting to sound a lot like Jedediah makes Octavius laugh in his sleep for a slight moment. Then, all of his mind goes downhill, flooding back memories of old both good and bad ones come and go as he continues sleeping. Octavius is none the wiser that he's starting to mumble in his sleep and that a certain cowboy is on the verge of waking up.

Jedediah awakes from his dream with a start, hearing someone start to call out in a panicked voice. The blonde cowboy instantly fixes his hat where it is no longer covering his face and eyes in order to look around. Jedediah sits upright and looks around, seeing nothing going wrong in his diorama. Roy is helping John and Casey haul some water up from the well in buckets, which meant good news and more drinking water for the cowboys and other Western settlers alike. Turning to the left, Jedediah sees Shane, Bruce, Will, and Dallas working on getting the horses back into the stables for the night; one of the younger boys aged fourteen had thought it was funny to let the horses out of the stables when Jedediah had climbed the mountain with Octavius. Jedediah would make sure the boy got an earful when he and Octavius came down from the mountain. Secretly, the blonde cowboy finds the whole ordeal amusing; his blue eyes light up in laughter as Shane accidentally kicks over the pot of stew Wyatt has been trying to make all night after working on the railroad. Turns out his efforts were all for nothing because once that pot of stew hits the ground, all the dogs in the diorama come running towards the spilled meal, barks exiting their lips as they lap up the stew.

"No! No! NO!" Octavius shouts out in his sleep, making Jedediah wheel around to see tears flowing down Octavius' cheeks as the Roman continues to dream about his past life. "Atia! No, Atia! I don't want to go!" the general continues shouting, whimpering a bit as flashes from Rome continue to hit him in spurts.

Jedediah can't take it anymore. He can't take seeing his best friend and honorary brother plagued by whatever is bothering him. He can't take the screams coming from Octavius' lips. They remind him of….. They remind him of the shouts that awoke him the night Austin was killed in his past life.

"Ockie, ya gotta wake up," Jedediah softly remarks, gently shaking the Roman's shoulder in an attempt to rouse Octavius from whatever dream is haunting him.

"No," Octavius barely mumbles out the one word, his face scrunching up into one of sheer horror as he jerks away from Jedediah's hand, obviously having something similar to that happening in his memory.

"Octavius, I ain't kiddin', partner! Ya gotta get up!" Jedediah now all but yells, jerking Octavius up by the Roman's shoulder before thumping the general in the back.

"Jedediah?" Octavius sleepily inquires, his dark brown eyes still wet from tears and his voice cracks just a bit as he leaves his dream turned nightmare.

"Yeah. It's me, Ockie. It's ol' Jedediah, all right," Jedediah comforts, patting Octavius' back in an attempt to comfort the Roman man who is sitting up trembling like a leaf. "Ya wanna tell me what happened while you were sleepin'? I woke up to ya yellin' like a wounded dog," the blonde cowboy remarks with a small bit of humor but more concern present in his voice than anything else.

"I- I frankly have no idea why I would have been yelling in my sleep, Jedediah," Octavius tries to cover his display in a confident voice, but Jedediah can tell the difference in the Roman's tone of voice.

Anyone else would have passed it off like the general was fine, but not Jedediah. In the year and a half that they've been friends, Jedediah and Octavius have gotten to know each other very well, better than even some of their own men know one another. To most, Octavius' voice would sound perfectly normal, just like he was giving someone orders and that he was perfectly fine. Jedediah knows otherwise. He knows something is bothering the Roman. Jedediah knows that he is the only one who would be able to get it out of Octavius. That Roman can be a stubborn secret keeper when he wants to be…..

"You must have heard someone else yelling, my friend. You do have some pretty loud people under your command," Octavius sheepishly replies, wanting his friend to stop questioning him on the subject.

"Octavius, when you were asleep, you called out a woman's name," Jedediah deadpans, not wasting any more time on dodging the subject.

"I did?" Octavius inquires, his eyes widening and his voice cracking as he thinks back to his flood of memories he experienced while dreaming. "I must apologize for my abrupt behavior," the Roman quickly says before standing up and beginning to strap his chest-plate back on.

"Now hang on just one second there, kemosabe! I hear ya shoutin' out a woman's name an' you're just gonna blow it off like it's nothin' important!" Jedediah rages, his teeth gritting in frustration, wondering why Octavius insists on keeping everything to himself. "Who in the heck does that to their best amigo? Huh?" Jedediah demands, giving Octavius an angered look that the Roman has never seen come from the cowboy before.

Quite frankly, it scares Octavius. The pure anger laced with concern expressed in Jedediah's eyes is almost enough to make Octavius fear the blonde cowboy. Almost. Octavius never wanted to make Jedediah angry, but the fact that the cowboy is yelling at him makes the general get defensive over his choice of words.

"It's nothing you can change, Jedediah! What's done is done!" Octavius shouts back, his voice returning to its usual strength as he yells at Jedediah. "Now, it is getting close to sunrise and your people are still running after your horses. I suggest you go and help them," Octavius gruffly remarks, practically throwing his helmet on his head before swishing his cape on and beginning to head down the mountain. "I must go and make sure my men are all in line for when morning breaks."

"Who in the heck made ya this dang stubborn an' closed off, Octavius?! Huh?" Jedediah demands, following after the Roman as Octavius continues to walk down the mountain.

Paying no attention to the cowboy, Octavius continues walking, his head filling with images from his past and clouding his judgement.

"Ya don't walk away from me like that, Toga Boy!" Jedediah shouts, not being able to take it anymore.

"Well, I just did! I kindly ask that you leave me alone, Jedediah!" Octavius harshly shouts before walking through the tunnel leading to the Roman diorama, which makes Jedediah slam the opening to the tunnel closed after his friend walks through.

"Fine, be that way, ya stubborn Roman! I don't need ya anyway!"

"Nor do I need you and your cowboy ways!"

Everyone else in both dioramas stares slack-jawed and completely shocked at the two leaders' argument. Ever since that night they teamed up to save the Tablet of Ahkmenrah from Cecil, Jedediah and Octavius have not fought once. Not once. The two men have been inseparable since the night the crash in the Hummer nearly killed both of them. You never had to look far from where one miniature man was; the other was almost always close behind. Octavius would be training his army, and Jedediah would not be far behind, watching the army and laughing at some of the men if they fell out of line. Similarly, if Jedediah was working on a new project, Octavius would be there to offer his own help and advice, whether the blonde wanted it or not. Both of them could always be found in their miniature car, neither wanting to leave the other behind on a nightly excursion or exploration. That's why their current fighting and bickering is shocking to everyone in both dioramas.

Some people in both the Roman and Western dioramas alike try to get to the bottom of their leaders' conflict from not too long ago. No one is quite sure why Octavius and Jedediah would suddenly get into a fight after proclaiming to the museum that they are now honorary brothers just over two months ago.

"Jed, what happened up there with Octavius?" Shane inquires as he and Jedediah shut the last stable door to contain Jedediah's slightly temperamental paint stallion Lightning.

"He was bein' a pain in the rear, so I yelled at 'im," Jedediah answers quickly, not even bothering to think about his response.

"Uncle Jedediah, what was it that made ya think he was a pain in the rear?" Roy questions softly, not wanting to anger his uncle any more than he already is.

Everyone in the Wild West and the whole museum knows how short and fiery Jedediah's temper is, especially when the cowboy is already steaming mad about something.

"He mumbled a woman's name in his sleep an' was all yellin'. Then when I asked 'im 'bout it, he tried ta pass it off like it was nothin'!" Jedediah reveals, his normal deeply Southern accent sticking out more as he continues to yell and get more agitated about Octavius' lack of trust.

"Jed, ya know you get the same way about," Shane begins, only to be cut off by Jedediah, whose blue eyes house even more anger than they did.

"You hush yer mouth, Shane McCann! Ya don't talk 'bout that unless ya want ta do railroad work all this week an' clean out Lightning's stall!" Jedediah all but seethes with anger before going out of the stable to stand in his normal position for when the museum is open to visitors. "Sunrise, boys! Get in your positions 'fore I gotta jerk ya over to 'em!"

No one questions the famous cowboy and Western legend anymore; everyone falls into his or her respective position, not wanting to anger Jedediah and face the wrath of his temper any longer. Maybe he'd be okay by tomorrow night….

Meanwhile, a few of Octavius' closest friends in his army try and get him to talk about what happened.

"Octavius, what was all of that yelling in the Western diorama? Is Jedediah hurt or something?" Marcus inquires, being close enough with Octavius that he can call the general simply by his first name.

"No, Marcus. Jedediah is not injured," Octavius sighs before revealing the rest of what happened in the Western diorama tonight. "We got into a bit of an argument this night."

"Will we still be able to go into the Wild West diorama?" Areminus questions, his youth and curiosity coming out as he wishes to still be able to explore and make new friends since he is only a boy of sixteen years old.

Armenius basically grew up as a soldier; his father made him begin to train at an early age and then he was chosen to serve in General Gaius Octavius' legion, much to his luck and good fortune. Octavius made sure Armenius stayed alive in combat, never leaving the young soldier alone for fear the boy may be killed. Tonight, however, Octavius' nerves are in no mood to be tested with such trivial questions.

"That is not a concern right now! All of you, leave me!" Octavius shouts, heading to his pedestal where he usually stands during the day when the museum is open.

"Is there anything we can do to help, General Octavius?" Cato brings up, his blue eyes expressing worry for his commanding officer.

The seventeen-year-old has never quite seen Octavius like this in the many years they have been in the same unit. Cato served under Octavius during the time of the actual Roman Empire and throughout the fifty-two and a half years they have been in the Museum of Natural History. (The museum exhibits never age due to the Tablet's spell, but they still celebrate birthdays every year to mark the special day. It's one of the things that keeps everyone grounded in the museum; birthdays are one thing that stay constant amidst the chaos and excitement of the museum's night life. With as many inhabitants to the museum as there are, it seems like the Museum of Natural History celebrates a birthday every few days.)

"No, Cato, there is not. Now, all of you get to your posts. The sun will soon be upon us," Octavius softly replies, not wanting to hurt any of his men's feelings any more than they already probably are.

"Octavius, remember that we are here for you," Marcus comments, patting Octavius on the back before taking up his position near the barracks.

"Thank you, Marcus," Octavius smiles right when the sun starts to break over the horizon, turning all of the museum exhibits back to their daily form.

Without knowing it about the other, Octavius and Jedediah begin to silently apologize to one another internally all throughout the course of the day.

 _"_ _I'm really sorry, Ockie. I was such a jerk last night. I shouldn't have pressed ya 'bout the situation. I hope ya can forgive me, partner"_

 _"_ _I am sorry, Jedediah. I did not wish to push you away like that. I hope you can forgive me, my friend."_

The next night breaks on the horizon and both men are still thinking of their apologies when they are turned into their flesh and blood selves. Jedediah instantly runs over to the tunnel and begins to hoist the rope that holds the rock in place to open the tunnel back up. Without having any assistance, Jedediah is able to get the tunnel opened again to let the people from either diorama come and go as they please. With that, Jedediah rushes into the Roman diorama, searching everywhere for Octavius.

"Ockie!" Jedediah shouts as he looks around for the Roman general and his best friend. "Ockie, where are ya, kemosabe?" Jedediah continues to shout out, looking everywhere he can think of for Octavius.

"He's not out here, Jedediah," Marcus speaks up, halting the army's training as he has taken over for the night. "Octavius is in his quarters this evening," the second-in-command speaks up, watching as Jedediah's face switches to one of extreme concern.

Octavius _never_ misses a night of training the army unless he's sick…. Or worse. Jedediah sure hopes that Octavius is not hurt. He would never forgive himself if the Roman came to any harm due to their fighting last night.

"What's wrong with him?" Jedediah inquires in concern, his voice catching in the back of his throat as he talks.

"He's looking for _her_ ," Marcus reveals, making Jedediah gasp.

"Who?" Jedediah asks before realizing that it must be the woman who Octavius was shouting for last night. "What was her name?" the cowboy then follows up, not catching the woman's name fully as Octavius had just mumbled it in his sleep.

"I'm not at the liberty to tell you that, I'm afraid. That's a question for Octavius, should he choose to tell you," Marcus answers before going back to training the army.

Without another word, Jedediah heads for Octavius' quarters, not knowing what state he will find his best friend in.

When Jedediah walks in, Octavius is sitting in the middle of his bed, staring out the window- more like into the middle distance- and his eyes look to be clouded over with emotion.

"Planning your next move?" Jedediah jokes, sitting on the bed beside Octavius to try and get the general to talk. "Where you figure on goin'?" he chuckles, which still does nothing to snap Octavius out of his daze.

Jedediah snaps his fingers in front of Octavius' face, which finally snaps Octavius out of the trance-like state he is currently in.

"Jedediah, I did not notice that you were there. Forgive me," Octavius apologizes, turning to face his best friend.

"For what, Ockie?"

"For the terrible way I acted last night by yelling that I didn't need you. You're my brother and best friend, Jedediah; I will always need you by my side. I do hope you know how much I appreciate the time we spend and that our friendship and brotherhood is a bond I hope we never lose."

"Aw, ya big lug," Jedediah smiles, playfully hitting Octavius' shoulder. "Why'd ya have to go an' say that for? Now I have nothin' to tell ya back 'cause ya already took all the good stuff to say," the cowboy jokes, which makes Octavius laugh. "I'm sorry I was such a major jerk to ya last night, Octavius; I really didn't mean any of that ragin' I did," Jedediah softly remarks where Octavius alone can hear him.

"Apology accepted, Jedediah. It's just, I did not feel like sharing my dream from last night," the Roman general admits, hanging his head a bit while still thinking of last night. "I have always been afraid of sharing my deeper thoughts with others."

"You've got to be more trusting of people," Jedediah softly tells Octavius, knowing very well of Octavius' trust issues around other people.

Someone must have done something very terrible to Octavius in the past in order to make him have this many trust issues even around his best friend in the whole world. Jedediah intends on getting to the bottom of that situation one of these nights. And if the blonde cowboy could find whoever was responsible for making Octavius hide his emotions and problems from others…. Well, Jedediah would not like to see the other person when he got through with him or her. Look at me," Jedediah softly commands Octavius, making the darker-haired man look up at the cowboy. "It's Jedediah, your best friend and partner in crime. I would never do anythin' to hurt ya, Octavius. All right?" he calmly says, wanting to let Octavius know he could be vulnerable around him.

"I know that, Jedediah. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't change the past and get her back!" Octavius cries, lying down on the bed and resting his head on his pillow.

"Don't shout," Jedediah says in a relatively calm- yet still slightly hurt- tone of voice while pushing himself off of Octavius' bed. "You need to learn how to trust people. Else, I may never know how ta help ya like you help me, Octavius," the cowboy remarks as he starts to walk out of the general's quarters. "I'll see ya around later, I guess."

"No! Stay!" Octavius shouts as Jedediah reaches for the doorknob. "Please. Jedediah, I cannot be alone tonight. I need someone to talk to me," Octavius admits, his head raising up from its hiding place on the pillow. "Would you sit with me for a moment, please?" the Roman kindly asks, patting a spot on the bed beside him which then makes Jedediah sigh before speaking up.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that, Ockie?" Jedediah jokes.

Octavius laughs in response before cracking his own joke as well.

"And you are as well, my friend," he smiles at the cowboy, making them both smile.

"What's eatin' ya?" Jedediah inquires, placing a comforting hand on Octavius' shoulder, knowing the Roman needs some comfort in a time like this.

"I'm sorry, Jedediah," Octavius begins, a soft sigh exiting his lips. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, my friend. I've been doing that quite a lot lately and I am ashamed of my behavior," the Roman continues, hanging his head in shame.

"That's okay. You're going through a really tough time right now," Jedediah responds in understanding squeezing his friend's shoulders like he did the night they talked of their memories from their fifty plus years' war.

"Thank you, Jedediah," Octavius whispers as he cries, a few tears dripping from his eyes onto Jedediah's jeans- the blonde is still holding Octavius' shoulders at this point.

The two remain silent for a few minutes, neither one having the courage to speak about the current situation. Octavius continues to cry a bit, sniffles exiting his noise when he moves to wipe his nose. The Roman then moves his head to where it is resting on Jedediah's knee, much to the cowboy's surprise. He's not really sure what to do now; Octavius has never allowed himself to act so vulnerable and so much like a child who is merely frightened of thunderstorms.

"You're startin' to freak me out, Octavius," Jedediah admits, resting his hand on Octavius' shoulder, not sure what else to do to try and comfort the general. "What's wrong? Why are ya cryin'?" the blonde tries again, wanting to try and get Octavius to confess something, _anything,_ whether it was super simple or even if it was extremely complicated to deal with.

"This was my wife's," Octavius quietly admits, producing a small red veil from his closed hands before handing the delicate silk to Jedediah.

"What was her name? Tell me," Jedediah quietly coaxes, wanting to find out the truth behind Octavius' past; the Roman has been quite the closed book every time Jedediah makes a comment about family of any kind.

"It's Atia," Octavius admits in a bit of a forlorn voice, not quite ready to tell his full story just quite yet.

"That's a pretty name. She must have been one heck of a woman to win you over, Ockie. You're one of the hardest to please people I know," Jedediah chuckles, making Octavius hit him slightly on the arm.

"I am not!" the Roman defends with a laugh in his voice. "Atia was everything I could have asked for and more. That's why it pains me to be here without her," Octavius admits, his eyes shining as he thinks of his beautiful wife he had loved- and still does love- with all his heart and soul.

"That must be why ya've been walkin' 'round like you know a tear squeezer," Jedediah remarks, which makes Octavius look at him in confusion, not understanding the statement. "It means ya know a super sad story, Ockie," the blonde explains.

"I guess I have been kind of sulky lately," Octavius agrees, which makes Jedediah scoff at the Roman's statement.

"Sulky? That's the understatement of the year," Jedediah smirks, though he is being completely honest.

"Yes, well….. Today was— _is_ Atia's birthday," Octavius explains the reason behind his sulking behavior and his outburst last night.

"Tell me the story, Ockie. Tell me how ya met her, fell in love, all that kinda info," Jedediah smiles as he leans forward, making Octavius' head fall off of Jedediah's knee where he is now on the blanket looking up at the cowboy's amused and slightly still concerned face.

"You want me to tell you the story? _Now?_ That would take several nights," Octavius asks in surprise, not knowing of anyone who has ever asked for his full life story before.

"Yeah, now. We're not getting' any younger, ya know," Jedediah laughs, helping Octavius sit up where the general doesn't have all the blood rush to his head while looking at Jedediah upside down. "We're wastin' moonlight, Octavius; tell me, please," he begs, his eyes shining in curiosity.

"Well, uh…." Octavius fumbles over his words, not quite sure where to start.

There is so much he could tell, so much he remembers…

"My story can't be summed up in two or three sentences. It can't be packaged into something neat and simple that people would immediately understand," Octavius starts off, which makes Jedediah think of a narrator on some documentary Teddy or Sacagawea has put on during nights when Hannah has been at her dorm studying and going to sleep early for the next day for her classes. "This is my story; I promise to leave nothing out. First you will smile, and then you will cry, " Octavius continues, his mind speaking what his heart feels inside as he thinks of all the memories he is going to share. "Don't say you haven't been warned," the general tells Jedediah, wanting the cowboy to take the time now to decide if he wants to hear the story or not.

"I'm ready, Octavius. Tell me all about it; I promise to listen to every word," Jedediah assures, propping his back up on one of Octavius' pillows as he rests against the headboard of the general's bed.

"We first met when I was finishing up my training in Rome; I was twenty-three and she was only twenty-one," Octavius begins his story.

"Oh, wow," Jedediah sarcastically remarks. "You were _so_ much older than her," the cowboy continues in his famous sarcastic tone.

"Silence, or I will not tell you the rest of the story," the Roman commands, using his tone of voice he reserves for his men.

Jedediah instantly shuts his mouth and awaits the rest of the story; he's intrigued to learn about his best friend's past life.

 _Octavius will never forget how he met Atia. At twenty-three years old, Octavius has been deemed ready to lead a legion of his own, becoming the youngest leader of a legion from where he grew up- at least during the time period. Octavius had just finished his training at the Roman soldier's "academy" so to speak, and was invited to a dinner with Julius Caesar to get his stationing orders and get his new army he would get for becoming a Roman general. Octavius was prepared for anything, or so he thought. He didn't expect to meet the woman of his dreams in Julius Caesar's house. Caesar's niece, no less. Octavius arrived at Caesar's house about an hour early, wanting to prove he is early for something important and to maybe meet some new people that may help him up his position to something above even Roman general. The young Gaius Octavius walks up to the front door before knocking, expecting to be greeted by Caesar himself. He didn't expect to find a young twenty-one-year-old young woman opening the door, a shy smile on her face as she looks at Octavius with her bright blue eyes shining. Her light brown hair falls down to the bottom of her spine and she tosses it over her shoulder by moving her head to look at the new general. Octavius nearly faints or falls down- or both- when he sees Atia for the first time. Many people say there's no such thing nowadays- it's something you only find in stories- but when these two set eyes on each other for the first time, this was honestly, no kidding, sure enough, once in a lifetime love at first sight. Their eyes lock onto one another, Octavius' dark brown eyes contrasting heavily with Atia's light blue eyes as they study one another as a first impression. Octavius feels his heart skip quite a few beats, and he can't find words right away, which makes Atia smile at him as he tries to make words come out of his mouth._

 _"_ _How may I help you?" Atia inquires, her voice sweet like honey to Octavius' ears._

 _"_ _Um—Hi, I'm—Uh—My name is Gaius Octavius," Octavius stumbles over his words, not ever feeling how he is right now. "And, I am here for dinner with Julius Caesar," he finishes up, mentally kicking himself for sounding so foolish in front of this attractive young woman._

 _"_ _He's been expecting you," Atia smiles, her blue eyes lighting up at Octavius as she leans away from the door to let Octavius enter the house. "My name is Atia; I am Julius Caesar's niece. It is nice to meet you, Gaius Octavius," she tells him, both herself and Octavius feeling the ice breaking between them as they continue talking._

 _"_ _It is nice to meet you, Atia," Octavius bows, grabbing Atia's hand softly before pressing a kiss to her hand as is customary during the time period to greet a woman as such._

 _Atia leads Octavius into the house and into the dining hall where Julius Caesar is waiting for him to begin dinner. All throughout dinner, Octavius sneaks glances at Atia, lowering his head back down to his dinner plate if Atia or Caesar looked over at him. Little does Octavius know that Atia is doing the same thing; she casts looks at Octavius, memorizing his face to see again when he is not around since she knows he may not be coming back any time soon. After being thanked for coming by Caesar, Octavius presses a soft kiss to Atia's hand once more before turning towards the door to head back to his own house for the evening. (He had to leave for his first stationing as Roman general in the morning and needed rest.)_

 _"_ _It was a pleasure to meet you, Atia," Octavius grins, tossing a glance over his shoulder at Atia to see her blushing slightly as she watches him leave._

 _"_ _And it was an honor to meet you, General Gaius Octavius. I do wish you the best of luck commanding your legion," Atia smiles warmly at him, making the butterflies return to Octavius' stomach._

 _He almost trips on the way down the stairs as he attempts to walk backwards where he doesn't have to break Atia's gaze before it is completely necessary. That's how their first meeting unfolded; both knew right then that the other was the one they wanted to marry. However, neither knew their love at first sight would create a bond of true love between them, linking them together throughout the years, no matter how far Octavius roamed with his army._

"Wow!" Jedediah exclaims, his eyes lighting up as the first part of the story comes to a close. "That was a really good story, Ockie. It sounds like you two had love at first sight," the blonde comments, thinking about all of what Octavius said during his story.

"Indeed. Atia grabbed my heart as soon as we met. I never had met a woman quite like her before; she invoked a feeling in me that I had never experienced before," Octavius admits, his eyes lighting up as he recounts the earliest memory he has of his wife.

"Love. It was love, wasn't it, Octavius?"

"Yes, Jedediah. It was love, my friend."

With that, Octavius begins to tell the next part of his story with Atia, not yet getting to the part that would make himself and Jedediah cry.

"Our first kiss was nowhere near perfect," Octavius smiles before lightly laughing. "If they say a first kiss makes or breaks relationships, I'm surprised our love didn't break," the Roman laughs as his mind is plunged into the painful, yet at the same time beautiful, memory.

 _They were at the water's edge near the East Coast of Italy during one of Octavius' stationed missions while training his army. Octavius at the time was a young general of about twenty-four, just learning the ways of being an officer in command to thousands of men in his legion. Atia had come with her father and uncle to come and check in on Octavius; she pretends not to care about Octavius, making off-handed comments about him to throw her uncle and father- and even Octavius- off about her true feelings for him._

 _"_ _He's an impressive young man, wouldn't you say, Atia?" Atia's father remarks, wanting to try and see if Atia has her heart set on any man since she is by far older than most Roman brides._

 _At the age of twenty-two, she is about seven years older than the average Roman wife; most Roman girls were forced to marry at the age of fifteen._

 _"_ _Ab uno disce omnes," Atia mumbles under her breath in Latin, which means 'If you've seen one, you've seen them all'._

 _"_ _Gaius Octavius is not like many of the other men I make generals," Julius Caesar comments, smiling at his niece, which makes the young woman believe that she knows her secret._

 _"_ _Be that as it may, uncle, I will never like Gaius Octavius; he is too disciplined for me and would be very hard to love," Atia lies, hoping no one would catch through her lies._

 _"_ _It does not matter if you do not love a man, Atia. You will marry whomever I tell you to," Atia's father harshly says before stepping off the carriage to go and talk to the soldiers._

 _Atia climbs down the steps of the carriage with the help of Caesar before she heads off towards Octavius' tent, making sure no one was watching her or following her._

 _Octavius is surprised to see Atia when she walks into his tent with that same soft smile on her lips. Actually, surprised is a complete understatement. The young general is absolutely thrilled to see the girl who has filled his dreams for the past year since he first laid his dark brown eyes on her._

 _"_ _Atia," he barely whispers, knocking over the small table that rests beside his bed. "What are you doing here?" Octavius inquires, righting the table the best he can without drawing too much attention to the fact that he knocked it over._

 _"_ _My father and uncle brought me along to observe the army. Frankly, I think that they are trying to find me a husband," Atia sighs, her blue eyes watching as Octavius begins to make his way closer to her._

 _"_ _Well, that is just an awful development, Lady Atia," Octavius says in a very disappointed tone, stopping directly in front of her with a small frown on his lips._

 _"_ _And why is that, General Gaius Octavius?" she inquires, leaning forward towards his face as he continues to talk._

 _"_ _Please. Just call me Octavius," he whispers, closing the gap between them where they are face to face and almost nose to nose._

 _"_ _I shall do what you ask. Why do you call it an awful development, Octavius?"_

 _"_ _Because, Lady Atia, I had rather hoped that would be my position."_

 _With that, Octavius shyly closes the gap completely between them, lightly pressing his lips to Atia's and starts to slowly kiss her. Having never kissed a girl before, Octavius is not quite sure what to do other than have his lips against hers. Octavius' hands hang limply and awkwardly by his side instead of one around her waist and one behind her head like many men in the Roman Empire kiss women. He pulls back rather suddenly, a deep red blush on his face as if someone had splattered tomatoes on the young general's face._

 _"_ _I am rather sorry, Lady Atia," Octavius apologizes profusely, stepping back from Atia as he attempts to make up for unexpectedly kissing her. "I don't know where that uncivilized and unprofessional behavior came from. I, uh—" he continues before being cut off._

 _"_ _Octavius, I did not mind. It was quite all right for you to kiss me," Atia grins, thinking his awkward apology is overall adorable and makes him even more loveable. (Her feelings would be described today as thinking that Octavius is adorkable with his attempts at apologizing.) "In fact, I would like for you to kiss me again," she grins before pressing her lips against his, making Octavius blush even more if that is even possible._

Octavius ends the second part of his story there, which makes Jedediah elbow Octavius in the ribs as the Roman finishes.

"Well, Mr. Casanova! It seems like to me that you were head over heels for this girl, kemosabe," Jedediah comments with a smile, thinking of just how much Octavius must have really loved Atia to go against honor and tradition, two things Octavius holds above everything else.

"Yes, Jedediah. I was 'head over heels' for her as you put it. I still am," Octavius agrees, running his hand across the red silk of Atia's veil he only saw her wear on one occasion: their wedding.

"And, Ockie, if she wanted a second kiss from ya, the first couldn't have been as bad as you're lettin' on," Jedediah teases, making Octavius blush that fierce red again.

"Yes, well, I guess it must have been an adequate kiss," Octavius remarks, not believing he is having this conversation with Jedediah.

That's when Jedediah asks Octavius a question the general is not sure he is ready for.

"What happened to her?" Jedediah suddenly asks, handing Octavius a pillow as the Roman general lies down on his back in the bed.

"Pardon?" Octavius inquires, not quite sure what Jedediah is meaning.

Well, in all actuality, Octavius is quite aware of what Jedediah is asking. The Roman general is just not ready to travel down that road again.

"What happened to Atia?" Jedediah asks once again, hoping the question is clear enough for Octavius now. "I have to know. I have to," the blonde haired, blue-eyed cowboy insists, looking over at Octavius with hope in his eyes. "It's the only way I'll know why you're so upset."

Octavius takes a deep breath before beginning the rest of his tale, the part he told Jedediah would make the two of them cry.

"When it was her birthday three months after our kiss, I came back due to a break I had from commanding my army. I proposed to Atia on her birthday and we were married two months later," Octavius begins the third part of his story before Jedediah interjects a comment.

"You worked fast, Ockie. I had ya figured as the kind of guy who would take like two years of courtin' 'fore marrying a girl," Jedediah admits, his eyes looking away from Octavius as he knows the Roman's ways of doing everything with a plan.

The cowboy had assumed the same thing would have been true about Octavius' love life.

"Yes, well….. I had learned three months prior that her father and uncle were busy trying to find her a husband. So, you see, Jedediah, I could not take my relationship with her slow. If I had waited one more day, she would have been married to someone else," Octavius explains.

"Really? How come?" Jedediah asks, propping up on one elbow and leaning closer to Octavius to get the older man to tell him the rest of the story.

"Some other man came the very next day to ask for her hand in marriage."

"Ha-ha! But he got rejected 'cause ya had already asked her! That's mighty good of ya, Ockie. Turnin' down suitors and such."

"Yes. Well, as I said, we were married two months later. Atia and I lived a splendid and happy life with one another. Throughout our years together as husband and wife, we had three children together," Octavius starts to go into the saddest part of his tale before trailing off.

"Girls or boys, Octavius?" Jedediah asks, his face slightly falling for a reason unknown to Octavius.

"We had two girls that were two years apart; their names were Octavia and Olivia. Then, several years after they were born, Atia and I had a son, whom we named Augustus."

"Sounds like ya had the perfect family, Octavius," Jedediah compliments. "And I bet ya were an amazing father to all of 'em. Prolly taught 'em so many values and skills for life," the cowboy continues, his blue eyes starting to tear up.

"Thank you, Jedediah. Yes, I did educate my children myself when I was at home from the army; all three of them were growing up splendidly. Then came the day that changed my life forever."

"What happened, Octavius?"

"I was sent to fight Rome's sworn enemy: Carthage. Octavia and Olivia were fourteen and twelve; Augustus was just a mere boy of two. Atia was so worried I would never come back, but I murmured the words ' _Carthago delenda est!'_ to her," Octavius reveals, tears starting to prick his eyes as he thinks back to the memory.

"What does that mean, Ockie?" Jedediah inquires, tears flowing from his blue eyes, making the cowboy try to wipe them off his face.

"It means ' _Carthage must be destroyed!'"_ Octavius explains, which does nothing to soothe neither him nor Jedediah.

"But, your kids were so young. 'Specially Augustus. Did they not care you had kids, Octavius?" Jedediah demands, wondering who in their right mind would have sent Octavius off to battle with three kids of that age at home.

"They did not care, Jedediah. It was my duty to fight in the army for Rome; I had signed up for life with becoming a general. I had to leave my wife and children behind to fight in the war against Hannibal and the rest of Carthage; I never returned home to them," Octavius sniffs, tears flowing down his cheeks as he finishes his sentence.

"Were you—Were you-?" Jedediah starts to ask, not being able to finish his sentence, just thinking of the horror Octavius must have faced.

"Killed?" Octavius whispers, not being able to bring his voice up any louder. "Not instantly, no. I was able to survive for quite a few years before I died. But, I was never able to return back home due to the fact that Hannibal or his men could have followed me back to my house. Back to my family….."

"That really bites! I hate the Roman army!" Jedediah yells, burying his face in Octavius' pillow to try and hide his tears.

"Surely you do not mean that, Jedediah," Octavius softly says, rubbing soothing circles on Jedediah's back to try and calm the cowboy down. "After all, I am a part of the Roman army and you and I get along quite well," he reminds Jedediah with a small smile.

"Yeah," Jed sniffs, wiping his nose and eyes on his sleeve before talking again. "But, those meanie other Romans took away your family. They had no right doin' that to ya, Octavius," the blonde continues, his blue eyes clouding with tears.

Octavius had warned him he would cry during the story…..

"I lost the woman I love most," Octavius admits, his head hanging as he turns his head down to face the bed.

"Not just the woman, Ockie. Ya loved her more than any man ever loved before," Jedediah softly adds in, which makes Octavius look up to look at him in confusion.

"I'm not quite sure I follow you, my friend," the Roman speaks up, not really understanding his friend's statement.

"Ya didn't just lose Atia, Octavius. You lost a piece of yourself," the cowboy quietly admits the meaning of his statement to the general.

"I did. And, I'll never regain that sense of what I used to be when I had Atia and our children."

"I got a story for ya, too, Octavius."

That statement throws Octavius for a loop; he hadn't expected Jedediah to say such a thing on a depressing night like this.

Jedediah hands Octavius a small frame with a faded painting inside of it. Octavius gasps upon seeing the painting and who it is depicting.

"Is that-?" Octavius starts off before trailing off, not quite able to finish his statement.

"I keep that to remind me to never go back," Jedediah sniffs, looking down at the painting with love expressed in his light blue eyes.

"You had a wife and child, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires in shock, never knowing about this part of Jedediah's life before.

Usually Jedediah was the one that was an open book; Octavius had thought he knew everything about Jedediah that there was to know. Apparently not.

"I did. Her name was Grace and I named our son Owen," Jedediah whispers, rubbing his hand over the smooth glass of the frame.

"What happened to them?" Octavius gently asks, not wanting to overstep his boundaries with the cowboy.

"Both of 'em contracted tuberculosis," Jedediah brings himself to admit, staring at the baby in the painting as a single tear drips down onto the frame from his eyes. "She died with her boots on, that's the main thing," the cowboy quietly murmurs, thinking back to that dreadful day when he lost both his wife and only child.

"What were they like, Jedediah? If that's not being too bold of me to ask….." Octavius softly questions, not wanting Jed's temper to flare up like it did when he didn't want to talk about something.

"Grace was beautiful, Ockie. She had hair as blonde as the corn out in the fields and the most chocolate colored eyes I had ever seen. She was a feisty little angelica when we first met," Jedediah starts to describe his wife, his eyes and voice filled with love and respect.

"What does that mean, Jedediah? What is an angelica?" Octavius inquires, still not quite sure about what all the cowboy slang Jedediah uses means.

"An angelica is a young unmarried woman in the West," Jedediah explains.

"Oh, okay. Continue on then, my friend," the Roman coaxes, wanting to hear the rest of the story of Jedediah's family.

"I first met Grace when I was at a cattle drive in Utah. She was on a buckskin stallion chasin' after a calf that had gotten away," Jedediah smiles at the memory. "That girl could move, too! I counted to four seconds; in that time, she had ridden from the paddock and roped the calf its head," the blonde cowboy says with a certain fondness in his voice. "Whoo-wee," he breathes, just thinking about the day was enough to make him start to love her all over again.

 _The hooves of the buckskin stallion pound on the rough ground of the prairie as Grace runs back to the paddock with the calf at her side._

 _"_ _Grace! What in the heck do ya think you're doin'?" Grace's brother yells at her before grabbing the calf and putting it back in the pen._

 _"_ _I was chasin' after the calf, Tyrone. Nobody else was gonna do it," Grace answers matter-of-factly._

 _"_ _Girls shouldn't be chasin' after nothin' on horseback," Tyrone grumbles, taking the horse's reins and bridle from Grace before tying the stallion to a post._

 _"_ _Leave her alone, Tyrone!" Jedediah shouts at Tyrone while walking his loyal paint stallion over towards the men and Grace._

 _Jedediah had worked with Tyrone for about two years prior to meeting Grace; Jed hadn't even known Tyrone had a younger sister. Much less a sister the blonde cowboy finds attractive…._

 _"_ _An' why would I want to do that, Jed?" Tyrone sneers, getting in the younger cowboy's face._

 _" '_ _Cause if ya don't, you an' me are gonna have a problem, amigo," Jedediah practically spits in the black-haired man's face, getting up close to Tyrone as he attempts to threaten the older man._

 _Jedediah didn't expect what would come next. Someone slaps his cheek. Hard. Jedediah raises a hand to his cheek, the area already getting red and starting to sting._

 _"_ _Who in the heck did that an' why?!" Jedediah growls, turning to face the circle of men around him. "Anyone who hits ol' Jedediah has to pay!" the blonde continues as his temper keeps flaring higher and higher._

 _"_ _I hit you," a woman's voice remarks and the men disperse to show the culprit to Jedediah. "I don't need any man to defend me, especially not you, Jedediah Smith," Grace remarks with her temper coming out as well._

 _"_ _I beg your pardon, ma'am," Jed apologizes in a mumbling tone of voice, tipping his Stetson towards her to try and apologize. "Ya won't catch me tryin' to defend ya against anyone again," the cowboy softly remarks before continuing to walk his paint stallion to the paddock before going into the cow pen to feed the cows their dinner for the night._

Octavius' questioning stops Jedediah's story abruptly.

"How did you ever get Grace to like you, let alone love you?" the Roman inquires in a truly curious tone, wondering how if they hated each other at first why Jedediah and Grace ever got married and had a child.

"Well, that was a long process, kemosabe. I tried talkin' to her, but to acknowledge the corn, she would never give me the time of day," Jedediah admits, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he thinks of just how long it took him to win Grace over.

"Acknowledge the corn?"

"It means to tell the truth, Ockie."

"Oh. I don't know why you and other cowboys on making things so complicated," Octavius smiles, making Jedediah throw a pillow softly at Octavius' head.

"Says the man who gives his soldiers commands in Latin but talks to them in English any other time," Jedediah grins, earning him the same pillow to the face as Octavius throws it back at the blonde.

"So, how did you manage to make Grace talk to you and then fall in love with you?" the Roman asks, wanting to know how his best friend's story plays out.

"Well, one day when we were movin' the herd through the desert, a mountain lion pops outta nowhere an' scares Grace's horse somethin' fierce. The horse bucks her off and Grace is lyin' right in front of the wild cat," Jedediah starts off, pausing for dramatic effect. "So, I kicked Lightning's sides and rushed over to her side. Lightning managed to scare off the mountain lion by whinnying and pounding his hooves; I helped by yellin' at the lion which frightened it before I swept Grace off the ground and onto the saddle in front of me," the cowboy ends that part of his tale, puffing up his chest in pride as he recounts the dashing heroics he performed for a woman who- at the time- didn't care if he was alive or dead.

"I take it your heroics were what won her over?" Octavius grins, guessing at how Jedediah's tale will unfold.

"You betcha! We were in love a good two years after that 'fore I proposed to her. Finally worked up enough courage to ask her," Jedediah replies, a sad smile forming on his face.

Octavius notices the extremely sad look on Jedediah's face so the general decides to change the topic of conversation.

The general clears his throat before holding the painting in his hands before handing it back to Jedediah with emotion clouded in his eyes.

"What was your son like, Jedediah? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, my friend," Octavius softly says, not wanting Jedediah to break down like the night before.

"No, Ockie. I _have_ to tell ya. You told me your story, and it was pretty emotional on ya, too," Jedediah answers in a shaky tone.

He takes a shaky, uneven breath before beginning to speak of Owen in a similar way that Octavius spoke of his children earlier in the night.

"Owen was a strong-willed baby," Jedediah smiles, thinking of his infant son before he died of tuberculosis at an extremely young age.

"Just like his father," Octavius jokes, which makes both men laugh quietly.

"Yeah. He was a spirited baby, that's for sure. Kept me an' Grace up all night more nights than I can count," the blonde cowboy admits, thinking back to the bouncing baby that would cry the night away, "testing the strength of his lungs" as Jedediah used to joke.

But, much to Jedediah's surprise and humor, Owen would always stop crying whenever Jed would pick him up from his crib, making the cowboy smile widely at his adorable son. Owen fell asleep against Jedediah's chest and Jedediah would often find himself sleeping in a chair in Owen's bedroom just to watch over his infant child as he slept soundly.

"He had my blonde hair and got his chocolate eyes from his Mama," Jedediah smiles, thinking of the bouncing baby boy with his mop of blonde hair- looking much like Jedediah's own hair.

While finishing this statement, Jedediah starts to cry harshly, tears staining his cheeks and running down onto Octavius' bed.

"Jedediah?" Octavius whispers, moving over to rub circles on the cowboy's back to try and comfort him.

"He died so young, Octavius! Why'd both of 'em have to leave me?! And on the same day, too!" Jedediah shouts out in anger and defeat, hitting his hand against the headboard of Octavius' bed as the men continue to share stories while sitting up- or slumping over in Jedediah's case.

"I do not know, Jedediah. But, I do believe we have worked up quite enough tears for tonight. We both need some rest to calm down and try to think of happier memories before the sun rises in the morning," Octavius whispers in an attempt to comfort the blonde cowboy.

"Yeah. Yeah," Jedediah nods, beginning to push himself off of the bed as Octavius does the same. "Prollly would be for the best. I'm glad ya finally opened up to me, Octavius. I'm glad you trust me enough to talk to me about something as tragic as that that happened to you," Jedediah remarks, clapping Octavius on the back before wrapping his arms around the Roman general in a hug, which surprises Octavius as the cowboy squeezes his shoulder.

"Yes, Jedediah. I absolutely trust you, my friend. I am glad we could converse tonight, even if the memories we spoke of were not the most pleasant. I feel so much better telling you my life story and why I was so upset yesterday and tonight," Octavius reveals, hugging Jedediah as well while the blonde continues to hug the general for support.

"Are ya gonna be okay?" Jedediah inquires in concern for his best friend as he pulls out of the hug, not wanting anyone from Octavius' army to walk in and see him crying and hugging the general while tears racked through both of their bodies.

"I shall do my best," Octavius answers in all honesty, wiping his eyes as he looks at Jedediah. "What about you, Jedediah? How are you holding up?" the Roman then proceeds to ask, wanting to check in on his best friend and honorary brother.

"I'll try an' get better by the end o' tonight. 'Sides, it'll just be worse in December when it marks the anniversary of their passin'."

"Well, then I will be there to comfort you on that night and will not let you suffer alone, Jedediah. We have shared our tales of sorrow and will never have to be alone with our fears and sorrow again."

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 10! Today was my first day of school, so I didn't have much homework, which means I was able to post this tonight. I know this was quite the depressing chapter, but I thought it was necessary for you to know Octavius' backstory and my version of Jedediah's story. In actual history, Octavius was married to two women- at different times, of course- and had a daughter Octavia Major with his first wife. Atia was Octavius' second wife in actual history and they had a daughter named Octavia Minor and Augustus- birth name of Octavius/Octavian- who would become the first emperor of Rome. In real life, it is not known whether Jedediah had a wife or children, so I gave him one in order to make more of a connection between Octavius and Jedediah than they already have. (Also, my version will have some meaning later on in this story.) So, that's enough information for you tonight. I'm going to end the chapter here where I can watch the Olympics with my family. (I'm listening to them now while typing, but not actually** ** _watching_** **anything.) Until Chapter 11, my dear readers!**


	11. Sword to a Gunfight (aka Cowboy Lessons)

**Chapter 11**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the OCs in this story. Oh, and in case you don't read the author's note, I want to say that, yes, I do take requests. I only have two spots left- I rearranged and combined some of my own plans- so hurry with the submission of your requests to try and claim the top two spots!**

 _"_ _Tonight is the night. He's gonna learn tonight,"_ Jedediah says in his head, a smile crossing his lips as he rides into the Roman diorama on the back of Lightning, his loyal paint stallion.

The blonde cowboy begins to scan the Roman diorama for Octavius, wanting to find his best friend. Just about a week ago Octavius and Jedediah had shared their pasts and lives with their wives and children to one another. That night had taken a lot out of both men; Octavius had fallen asleep in his bed not long after Jedediah left the general's quarters. Jedediah, on the other hand, had gone into the Wild West to apologize extensively to Shane; Jed's second-in-command did nothing to deserve Jedediah's wrath the night before. After that, Jedediah had proceeded to check on everyone in his diorama, not noticing until after doing all his rounds that he and Octavius had spent nearly four hours telling their tales of sorrow to one another. The blonde had retired to his tent after doing his rounds, intent on getting some sleep and try to get away from the depressing memories that haunted him earlier in the night.

 _"_ _Ah-hah! There he is!"_ Jedediah remarks in his mind, seeing Octavius commanding his men in Latin as usual.

Jedediah slips off of Lightning's saddle as quietly as he can, landing on the ground with a slight thud.

"Consiste!" Octavius shouts out, commanding his legions to halt in their current positions.

With Octavius' back turned, Jedediah continues to sneak up behind Octavius, a smile on the blonde cowboy's face as he has to bite his lips to keep from laughing. Unknown to the Roman, the cowboy is now only a few inches behind him.

"Rompere le righe!" comes Octavius' next command, allowing the men to drop out of ranks once the general notices what time it is in the night. "Dimitto!" he now calls, dismissing the troops for the night.

The Roman legion's men happily begin talking, some even heading over to the tunnel that connects them to the Wild West diorama to talk with some of the cowboys and cowgirls that live under Jedediah's command. Octavius soon feels hands clamp around his eyes. In sheer reaction, Octavius puts his hand on the hilt of his sword before attempting to spin around and throw his captor or enemy off balance and- more importantly- off his eyes. With the unknown person's hands still over his eyes, Octavius manages to get the other miniature's arm held at such an angle that he or she winces in pain while trying desperately to get out Octavius' vice-like grip.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ockie! Chill out! It's only me!" Jedediah remarks with a bit of a laugh present in his tone, though he winces slightly at the amount of pressure Octavius is able to exert.

"Jedediah?" Octavius inquires, reaching his other hand up to pry the cowboy's calloused hands away from his dark brown eyes.

"In the flesh. Thought I'd come an' surprise ya after ya finished with the army," Jedediah smiles, dropping his hands down from Octavius' face before starting to head back towards Lightning.

"Must you keep doing that?" Octavius asks with a bit of a groan, not knowing why Jedediah always insists on covering his eyes to try and sneak up on the Roman.

"It's the only way to truly surprise ya, Ockie. Your wolf-like hearin' isn't exactly like a wolf when you're trainin' your men," the blonde laughs, swinging his leg up and over Lightning's back before settling into the saddle.

"What exactly did you come into the diorama to get me for this time?" Octavius inquires, petting Lightning's face gently, which makes the paint stallion nicker softly.

"I'm gonna teach ya how to ride a horse, Octavius," Jedediah grins, which makes Octavius' mouth hang open in surprise.

"Wha- Why are we venturing to do this lesson tonight, my friend?" the Roman questions in shock, not knowing why this particular event fascinates Jedediah.

"Well, I figured that since ya told me your Pa never taught ya how to ride a horse that that job should fall on me. I am your brother, after all. That's what brothers are for, Ockie!" Jedediah grins, offering Octavius a hand.

Octavius grabs Jedediah's hand, not expecting to be roughly pulled up behind the cowboy onto the rather uncomfortable saddle. The Roman lands onto the saddle with an "Oof!" not yet used to the rough leather on the back of a horse.

"Jedediah, I am only willing to attempt to ride one horse," Octavius announces, gripping the back of Jedediah's vest as the cowboy makes the stallion take off running across the Roman diorama.

"And who might that be, Ockie?" Jedediah inquires, turning Lightning towards the Roman stables that contain all of the Roman horses, including the two that Octavius usually has attached to his chariot when riding.

"I will only ride Spirit, my buckskin stallion that I received when he was no more than a colt as a present from Atia many years ago," Octavius reveals, a smile on his lips as he recalls the memories he and Atia have with that horse and with each other. "He's the nicest horse you'll ever meet," the general assures, ducking his head where it does not hit the stable door as Jedediah rides Lightning into the stables.

Jedediah slips off of Lightning's saddle, his boots making a soft thud as they connect with the hard ground of the stables. Octavius still sits on the back of Lightning's saddle, not quite sure what to do.

"Ockie, ya can get down now, partner," Jedediah sighs, shaking his head in amusement as he watches Octavius continue to sit there.

"I think I need some help dismounting. I have never ridden a horse on a saddle, either," Octavius admits, a look of embarrassment written across his face.

Jedediah laughs lightly before moving back over to both his paint stallion and his best friend. With one hand the cowboy holds Lightning's reins where the stallion can't run off while Octavius is dismounting. The other hand is used to help Octavius down; the blonde holds one hand out which makes Octavius grab Jedediah's hand like it is his overall life support. Octavius is able to jump off to the ground, swaying slightly as he hits the ground at a rather unnatural angel.

"Whoa, there, partner. Don't pass out on me 'fore we start anythin' interesting, Octavius," Jedediah jokes, helping Octavius regain his balance.

"Thank you for the assistance, my friend. Now, I shall go and let Spirit out of his stall and then you shall have to endeavor to find a way to transport him, Jedediah," Octavius instructs, not knowing how Jedediah is going to manage getting two horses to the Wild West diorama.

"It can't be that hard, Ockie. Ya just leave that part to ol' Jedediah here," Jed remarks with a puff of his chest as he watches Octavius disappear around a corner to Spirit's stall in order to get the buckskin horse out for the night.

With that, the Roman starts his nightly ritual with Spirit, unbeknownst to the cowboy.

Jedediah walks around the corner, leaving Lightning waiting by the doors to the stable in order to check in on why it's taking Octavius so long. He walks in to the stable hall to find Octavius inside the stall with his horse; Octavius is feeding Spirit an apple, much to the stallion's pleasure. Once all of the apple is eaten, Octavius begins to stroke Spirit's muzzle, making the buckskin neigh in appreciation and affection. Octavius then presses a kiss to Spirit's muzzle as well, making the horse nuzzle his head against Octavius' face, nearly knocking the Roman's helmet off of his face. Spirit nuzzles Octavius some more, whinnying as Octavius murmurs some words of affection in the horse's ear. Spirit is the only pet Octavius has ever had, so like many people give words of affection to their dog or cat, Octavius tells them to his horse. The Roman then whistles, which makes Spirit lean his head back from Octavius' face and allows the general to retrieve Spirit's brush from the stall's opposite wall, the stallion following closely behind him. Octavius takes his helmet off before setting it on the dividing wall of Spirit's stall that allows the stallion to see out into the Roman diorama when Octavius is training his men. As Octavius begins to brush Spirit's golden coat, the stallion begins to playfully bite and nip at the general's hair, making Octavius laugh a bit before he pulls away from the stallion's mouth.

"Spirit, you cannot expect me to brush you if you are acting this way," Octavius laughs, returning to brushing Spirit's coat with a smile.

The stallion, however, will not take no for an answer and continues to nip at Octavius' hair, attempting to pull the general backwards.

"What is it, Spirit? Do you smell what I have for you?" Octavius inquires in a slightly teasing tone, knowing what he has in his pocket. "You couldn't possibly smell this sugar cube, could you?" Octavius grins, producing the sugar cube from his pocket before handing it to Spirit.

Spirit neighs happily, practically inhaling the sugar cube out of Octavius' hand before licking the Roman general much like one would expect a puppy to do.

"Ockie, can we hurry this up, please?" Jedediah asks from where he is sitting on the edge of Spirit's fence of the stall.

Spirit begins to get visibly agitated as he rears back on his back hooves, nearly hitting his head against the ceiling of the stable. The stallion named Spirit neighs loudly, running towards the fence Jedediah is sitting on with a crazed look in his eyes. Spirit nickers angrily, raising his hooves at the fence, preparing to kick the cowboy off of the fence. Jedediah yelps before jumping off the fence and rolling to the ground, landing harshly on his shoulder. The blonde cowboy remains on the ground as Spirit neighs ferociously at him before attempting to reach through the fence and bite Jedediah's arm.

"Spirit, stop this this instant!" Octavius says at the same moment that Lightning comes running to his rider's aid.

Lightning gets in Spirit's face before neighing harshly at the other stallion, standing in front of Jedediah in an attempt to protect the cowboy. The loyal Western paint stallion then snorts at Spirit, making the Roman war horse back off and stand next to Octavius.

"Well, that went well," Octavius sarcastically remarks, dropping down from over the fence to help Jedediah to his feet.

"I haven't ever seen Lightning act like that 'cept when some o' Marshall an' his men tried ta beat me up," Jedediah comments before taking Octavius' hand and then brushing some dust off of his jeans. "Now, steady Spirit, I'll get some rope from Lightning's saddlebag and try to get 'im to come back with us that way," the blonde instructs, not wanting to get anywhere near Spirit right now since the buckskin seems to have it in his head that the cowboy is bad news.

"Okay, my friend. Now, I would find it an appropriate time to tell you that I think Spirit must think that we are still enemies and not the good friends and brothers we are now," Octavius admits, which makes Jedediah roll his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jedediah mumbles under his breath, sliding onto Lightning's saddle to be safe from Spirit's thrashing hooves.

This was going to be a long night, indeed…..

It takes the two men about thirty minutes to finally get over to the Wild West diorama. It's now around midnight, meaning the two friends only have about five and a half hours before the sun rises and they are frozen until the sun sets once more. Jedediah pulls them to a halt once they reach the middle of the Western diorama. The blonde cowboy slides off the saddle with ease, landing on the ground with a soft noise before extending his hand to help Octavius off of Lightning's saddle. All the while, Spirit is kicking his hooves around like crazy, trying to get loose and not wanting to stand next to Lightning since the paint stallion basically yelled at him in horse language.

"Mitescere, Spirit," Octavius gently tells Spirit, stroking the buckskin's face affectionately while telling him to calm down in Latin.

Spirit starts to breathe normally again as Octavius continues stroking his face; about the only person Spirit will actually listen to is the great General Octavius. The Roman sees quite a few similarities between the horse and Jedediah.

"Are you gonna change your clothes?" Jedediah suddenly asks, daring to edge a bit closer to Octavius without having Spirit go berserk again. "I wouldn't wear that ta go ridin'," Jed chuckles, noticing that Octavius still is clad in all of his Roman armor, which would make for some very uncomfortable riding clothes.

"I was planning on changing. Yes," Octavius admits, himself thinking that armor would be a tough first outfit to learn how to ride a horse in.

"All right. Well, go into my tent, Toga Boy. I prolly have some extra clothes in one o' the trunks under my bed," Jedediah instructs before remembering one last thing. "Oh, an' you'll need a hat where your head don't get sunburned and where ya can look cool," the blonde smiles, thinking of just the hat that could work for Octavius.

With that, Octavius slips into Jedediah's tent, not quite sure what he is going to look like in cowboy clothes. The Roman starts to have a feeling that he will look absolutely ridiculous in these new clothes, not to mention feel a bit out of place and maybe even uncomfortable wearing what Jedediah calls jeans.

Eventually, Octavius emerges from Jedediah's tent, an unsure look on his face as he steps out into the bright and sunny Western diorama once more.

"How do I look?" Octavius inquires in an unsure tone once he steps out of Jedediah's tent clothed in traditional cowboy clothes.

Jedediah had given Octavius a pair of black jeans, a black shirt, a brown vest, some brown cowboy boots, and even a brown Stetson to go with his outfit.

"I think you look great," Jedediah remarks, shocked to see just how much Octavius looks like a proper cowboy just with a change of clothes.

His blue eyes widen as he takes in Octavius' new look; it seems to suit the Roman in a way neither man thought would have been possible. Octavius was concerned about sticking out like a sore thumb- per Jedediah's wording- in the cowboy garb while Jedediah had once thought Octavius would look goofy, just goofy, in cowboy clothes and a Stetson. Octavius actually looks quite adorable in his new clothes; the black shirt shows a bit of the top of Octavius' chest as it comes down just a tad lower than Jedediah's shirt normally rests due to Jedediah being a bit taller than the general. In addition, the brown boots give Octavius a bit of stylish flair, not that either man really notices this fact. (Well, maybe Octavius notices, if either of them does.) The brown Stetson ties Octavius' whole transition into Western clothes together, adding even a little bit of height to the Roman general.

"Just like a real cowboy," Jedediah says with a hint of surprise in his voice as he looks Octavius over one more time, checking to make sure Octavius has everything he would need to be transformed into an honorary cowboy for the night. "It doesn't look that bad, actually."

"Really?" Octavius asks in shock, not expecting that answer from Jedediah.

"Come on. Would I lie to ya?" Jedediah grins, patting Octavius on the back before remembering something. "Oh, yeah! These are for you, partner," Jedediah says, producing a pair of black gloves from Lightning's saddlebag.

"What do I need gloves for, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires in a confused, yet adorably cute, tone of voice as he looks at said items in slight disapproval.

"Well, partner, gloves can help ya keep from gettin' rope burn from the reins. Mighty hurts ta get rope burn, Octavius. I got it once and it was not pretty nor did it feel too good on my hands," Jedediah answers the Roman, thinking back to when he got rope burn as a teenager and then once during the fifty-two years they have been in the Museum of Natural History.

"So, what should we do first, Jedediah?"

"First we gotta get a blanket and then put a saddle on that crazy horse of yours. No wonder ya called 'im Spirit."

"I think I'm starting to see some similarities between the two of you," Octavius smiles, which makes Jedediah push the brown Stetson over Octavius' eyes.

With that, the two amigos head off towards where Lightning and Spirit are waiting to begin riding for the night.

Octavius softly places a blanket on Spirit's back before leaning over to get the saddle Jedediah has sat on the ground in front of the Roman. Spirit, deciding he doesn't like the change, turns his golden head around before grabbing the blanket in his teeth. No sooner than he grabs it does Spirit throw the blanket off his back; it lands on Octavius' head. Needless to say, Jedediah laughs at this, seeing Octavius with a blue and white checkered blanket on his head is too funny for words.

"Spirit, you need to let me put this blanket on you. Jedediah seems to believe that he can teach me how to ride on a saddle," Octavius remarks to Spirit, petting the buckskin's nose with one hand. "If you would allow me to put the blanket on you, I would greatly appreciate it," the Roman quietly whispers, pressing a kiss to Spirit's muzzle.

Octavius then places the blanket higher up on Spirit's back, hoping the golden stallion cannot reach back and throw it off this time. The general's hopes seem to be all for naught, though; Spirit reaches his head back and throws the blanket to the ground once more, kicking up some dust in the process. Both Octavius and Jedediah cough, though Octavius coughs longer than Jedediah; the cowboy is used to dust being kicked around by either the animals or the people of his diorama.

"Looks like Spirit's givin' you some problems there," Jedediah remarks as he sits with his back against the nearest oak tree.

It's taken Octavius nearly an hour to get clothed in traditional cowboy wear and attempt to try and get Spirit ready to go riding. Jedediah got Lightning ready to ride in less than ten minutes during the time while Octavius was dressing in the tent.

"You want me to, uh, give you a hand?" Jedediah suggests, looking at Octavius continue to struggle with Spirit as the buckskin horse seems to have other ideas.

"No. I can do it," Octavius insists with a small sigh exiting his lips before he picks the blanket up from the ground.

He was going to prove to Jedediah that he could do this…

"Sure you can," Jedediah sarcastically remarks, still watching Octavius struggle with the blanket from his vantage point of the tree.

"I don't like that tone of voice, Jedediah."

"Then do it properly and I won't have to use it, Ockie."

Octavius doesn't even care about gently putting the blanket on Spirit's back this time. He just throws the blanket on the stallion before the horse pulls the blanket off yet again. Spirit even has the nerve to nicker at Octavius in what appears to be a horse's version of a laugh. Octavius just sighs before picking up the blanket off the ground, preparing to try this one final time. If this doesn't work….. The Roman is seriously thinking of calling it quits if he can't even put a blanket on his horse properly.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop," Jedediah comments, holding one hand up in the air while waving the other back and forth.

The blonde cowboy stands up, wiping his hands on his jeans before straightening his Stetson. Jedediah then begins to walk over towards Octavius and Spirit, not sure what the hold-up is and why both Octavius and Spirit are being so stubborn this evening.

"I can't take it anymore," Jedediah says with a slight sigh, coming up and taking the blanket from Octavius' hands. "Watch me do it," he commands in a gentle tone, which makes Octavius pay extra close attention to what Jedediah is doing differently. "Get it like this," Jedediah starts to instruct, unfolding the blanket all the way where it takes up the most surface area it can on Spirit's back. "And put it up high," the cowboy continues, settling the blanket nearly on Spirit's neck, which is much higher than Octavius ever attempted to put it. "See? It'll drift back while you're riding," Jedediah finishes his instruction, turning to face Octavius.

His blue eyes study Octavius' thoughtful and learning expression as the darker-haired man watches in amazement that Spirit does not throw off the blanket when the cowboy places it on his back. Jedediah actually finds Octavius' expression similar to one a child may wear at learning how to do something, which makes his heart feel a little lighter. Maybe it was because of his dark brown eyes looking like how baby Owen's did, but Jedediah can't help but think his son would have worn the same expression when Jedediah would have taught the blonde boy how to ride. (If he had ever reached that stage of life, that is.) Octavius grins at Jedediah, making the cowboy ruffle the Roman's hair from underneath the brown Stetson Jedediah let him borrow for the night. Sometimes Octavius could act so much like a child wanting praise or instruction that it makes Jedediah laugh. Tonight is one of those times.

Next, Jedediah heaves the saddle up onto Spirit's back, making the buckskin horse squeak slightly at the extra weight on his back. The experienced horse rider begins to adjust the saddle into its proper position on Spirit's back, not wanting the saddle to bounce around while Octavius is trying to learn how to ride. That would not end well. Octavius is tasked with keeping Spirit calm, so the Roman runs his hands over Spirit's muzzle, whispering words of encouragement and pride to the horse. He barely even notices what Jedediah is doing with fastening the saddle's many different parts around Spirit until the stallion lets out a confused snort that makes Octavius look over at Jedediah in concern.

"Jedediah, why is Spirit making such an alarmed noise? What is it that you're doing to him?" Octavius asks in a much harsher tone than he intends to. "I'm sorry; that was harsh of me."

"Spirit just isn't used to havin' a saddle on 'im, Octavius. That's all. An' all I'm doin' to him is tightenin' the saddle to almost as tight as it can go," Jedediah explains, which ends up drawing another question out of Octavius.

"Why is that, my friend? Spirit is by no means either too skinny or too fat to fit properly in the saddle," Octavius comments, confused by his best friend's statement.

"No, he's not, Ockie. But, ya see, horses tend to suck in their lungs as much as they can where the saddle doesn't get as tight as it can. Then when you sit on the horse, BLAM! Ya fall off an' roll in the dirt," Jedediah explains, getting louder at the end. "See, that's called puffing their lungs, an' it makes for an incredibly terrible pain. Shane fell off one time an' rolled all the way into a river!" Jedediah laughs hysterically, finishing putting the saddle on Spirit with a flourish of his hands.

"Don't tell him what Rain did to me," Shane pleads, walking up with the mare in question following behind him.

Rain is a paint mare that Shane got for both her personality and the hopes that she would have a foal with Jed's paint stallion Lightning.

"It's not Rain's fault that ya forgot to check her saddle, ya klutz!" Jedediah grins, feeding an apple to Rain as the paint mare comes closer to him and Octavius.

"How are you tonight, Shane?" Octavius inquires, wanting to keep the two cowboys from getting into a debate and keeping Jedediah too busy to teach him how to ride Spirit.

"I'm fine, Octavius. Thank ya for askin'. So, Jed here tells me that it's your first night in the saddle," Shane smiles, sliding his leg onto Rain's saddle before settling down on the back of the mare with his weight evenly dispersed on the saddle.

"It is. Jedediah is supposed to teach me how to ride Spirit on a saddle instead of with a chariot all the time," Octavius replies with a smile, petting Spirit as the golden stallion nuzzles the general's head and face.

"Well, now's as good a time as any. Let me help ya up there, Octo," Jedediah says with a grin, offering his hands in a basket shape in order to hoist Octavius onto the saddle.

Octavius places one of his feet in Jedediah's hands before swinging the opposite leg onto Spirit's back and saddle. Next, Jedediah releases the Roman's other foot, leading Octavius to believe that he now must just need to settle his other foot in the stirrups like he has seen Jedediah do so many times in the past. Octavius is now settled into the saddle, though it takes him a few seconds to get used to having to keep his weight perfectly balanced while sitting atop of Spirit's saddle. With knowing that Octavius is perfectly safe on Spirit's saddle, Jedediah leaves the golden stallion's side before swinging himself up onto Lightning's saddle. Jedediah then rides over before grabbing Spirit's bridle with one hand and beginning to lead both Octavius and Spirit in the direction he and Shane are leading their paint horses in.

The three riders reach a relatively calm and open area; no others from the frontier diorama are around, which means that Octavius can get in some practice without fear of getting Spirit spooked by anything or anyone.

"So, what is his first lesson for ridin', Jed?" Shane inquires, pulling Rain to a stop once the reach the back side of the Wild West diorama.

To most full-sized humans and animals, the miniature dioramas are just that: miniature. However, to the miniature people and animals, the dioramas span for what is the equivalence of miles for their full-sized counterparts. The miniatures think of their dioramas as being cities, which, in all technicality, they are.

"Ya know, just the basics of ridin', Shane," Jedediah answers, not really used to having to teach another man how to ride a horse.

It was different for children; Jedediah has different lessons that he used on his younger brothers during his past life.

"What, may I ask, are the basics of riding?" Octavius inquires, still holding on for dear life on Spirit's saddle.

The Roman looks a bit off balance, so Shane brings that fact up to Jedediah.

"For cryin' out loud, Jed! Ya need to teach Octavius how ta balance on that saddle 'fore he hurts himself or the horse!" Shane instructs before gently pushing Jedediah in the direction of Octavius and Spirit.

"All right. All right. I guess we gotta teach ya balance 'fore ya learn anythin' cool, Ockie," Jedediah sighs, coming up alongside Octavius and Spirit with a slightly unexcited look on his face.

"Yes, that would be very useful and practical, Jedediah," Octavius replies, starting to lean to one side.

"Whoa, whoa, partner," Jedediah softly says, placing a firm hand on Octavius' forearm before helping Octavius distribute his weight back evenly on the saddle. "Don't go gettin' yourself hurt. I don't want a repeat of what happened with the rhino," Jedediah remarks, letting out a relieved sigh as Octavius gets his whole body back on the saddle.

Jed then takes Spirit's reins in his hands, leading the buckskin around in a circle where Octavius can get used to the motion of being on top of a horse instead of behind one in a chariot. The blonde lets Spirit walk slowly in a circle, barely even getting a few steps in a minute. Once Octavius seems to be getting the hang of it, Jedediah lets go of Octavius' arm, ready to let the Roman try and remain balanced by himself. Almost instantly after letting go of Octavius, Jedediah notices that the general is beginning to tilt to one side again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jedediah remarks again, reaching out a hand to steady Octavius once more.

Much to his surprise, Octavius shrugs off his help and actually manages to stay upright and balanced while Spirit starts to walk in a straight line side by side with Lightning.

"I did it!" Octavius shouts in pure amazement as he and Jedediah reach the back wall of the diorama without Octavius losing any of his balance or falling off of the horse at all.

"Ya did! I'm so proud of ya, Ockie!" Jedediah cheers, slowing Lightning to a stop beside Spirit where the cowboy can give Octavius a congratulatory clap on the back.

"Thank you, Jedediah. Now, what's next?" Octavius inquires in an enthusiastic tone, now finding the activity of riding a horse with a saddle to be fun.

Pausing ever so slightly, Octavius moves the brim of the Stetson out of his face; he's still not used to wearing all of the Western clothing Jedediah gave him.

"Well, we've only got about an hour before sunrise," Shane remarks, looping Rain's reins around his hands.

(Try saying that five time fast.)

"Well, I guess we can ride back towards the tunnel and let Ockie put Spirit back into the stables for the night," Jedediah announces before clicking his booted feet against Lightning's side to urge the paint stallion forward once more.

"But, Jedediah, I did not learn everything tonight," Octavius softly comments, hope in his dark brown eyes. "I had rather hoped that you would show me how to ride like you do when you're riding with Shane, Roy, John, or the other cowboys," Octavius continues, wanting to ride fast and free like Jedediah so famously does.

"Well…." Jedediah starts off, thinking of what he can do since it would probably take him and Octavius around exactly an hour to get back to Rome, put the horses away for the day, and make sure their respective dioramas were in order all before the sun rises for the day. "Come back tomorrow and I'll show you then," Jedediah grins, knowing how much Octavius is appreciating the blonde teaching him how to ride a horse and learn to do other cowboy related things.

"Really?!" Octavius asks in excitement, a smile on his face as his dark brown eyes light up. "You mean it?" he continues in his excited tone, turning around to face Jedediah.

Even Jedediah's blue eyes light up and he smiles back at the Roman he is proud to call his brother before he answers the eager general.

" 'Course I mean it," Jedediah grins, leading Lightning towards the stables before dismounting. "That's what brothers are for, Octavius. I've gotta show ya how to finish ridin' if you're gonna be my new riding partner," Jed continues smiling, helping Octavius dismount before the Roman starts to head off into the Roman side of the tunnel, Spirit following closely behind him.

"Thank you, Jedediah. I am proud to call you my brother," Octavius smiles, showing his teeth as he grins as wide as the Cheshire Cat from _Alice in Wonderland_.

"Yep! I am, too, Octavius. Now, get outta here and get some good sleep today. We're gonna do a lot more trainin' and learnin' tonight," Jedediah tells Octavius, gently shoving Octavius the rest of the way through the tunnel.

"I shall. Until tonight, Jedediah. I appreciate you teaching me how to ride a horse, my friend."

"No problem, Ockie. Now, good morning, amigo."

"Good morning, Jedediah."

With that, the two go off in their own ways where they would stay throughout the duration of the day.

The next night comes rather quickly and Octavius wastes no time going into the stables in order to get Spirit ready for the night. Within three minutes, Octavius has the blanket _and_ saddle on Spirit's back.

 _"_ _If only Jedediah could have seen this. He would be so proud of me,"_ Octavius smiles as these thoughts run through his head.

Yet again the Roman has thoughts that would make Jedediah compare the famous Roman general to a child if only he could read thoughts.

"Okay, Spirit. Now, let us ride into the Wild West and show Jedediah what we have learned," Octavius whispers to his noble steed.

With that, Octavius mounts onto Spirit's saddle and they begin to ride off into the tunnel after Octavius tells Marcus he would be gone for most of the night and wasn't quite sure when he would be back. Marcus couldn't help but laugh, assuring his general that the army could survive the night without him. The other Roman commander is just glad that General Gaius Octavius is back to his normal self and is going to seize the night like he normally does.

"But, wait. Was that Octavius riding a _horse?"_ Marcus whispers to himself, thinking that he must be seeing things.

With that, Marcus goes off to spend the night with his sixteen-year-old son Maximus.

Roy runs up to Jedediah with a smile on his face as he pants for breath as he reaches Jed's tent from the tunnel.

"Uncle Jedediah, you have a visitor," Roy grins, sitting down on Jedediah's bed to catch his breath for a moment.

Jedediah sticks his head out of his tent before the rest of his body follows closely behind his head.

"Well! Lookee here! It looks like someone took my lessons to heart!" Jedediah cheers before letting out his signature 'Wow' as Octavius continues to ride into the cowboy camp.

"Yes, it is I! The mighty Octavius has arrived!" Octavius grins, slowing Spirit to a stop without falling off of the buckskin stallion.

"Whoo-wee, boy! If ya had told me you were gonna ride in here after only one night o' lessons, I woulda called ya a liar," Jedediah smiles, resting one hand on Spirit's muzzle, only to have to retract his hand as the golden stallion attempts to bite him.

"Yes, well," Octavius begins before losing his train of thought and clearing his thought. "I arrived early tonight in order to show you what I have learned and to learn some more," the Roman grins before dismounting all on his own.

"Man, Octavius! I sure did teach ya well for just one night! I sure am good!" Jedediah smiles, pleased with his own work. "Now, who saddled Spirit up so quickly for ya? Now, be honest," Jed jokes, just wanting to get on Octavius' nerves.

"I did, Jedediah. No one helped me saddle Spirit. I did everything on my own," Octavius proudly admits, puffing his chest quite a bit in pride.

"Well, let me go get Lightning out of his stall an' then we can get started on tonight's lessons," Jedediah grins, pleased with Octavius' enthusiasm to want to learn more so early in the night.

With that, Jed disappears into the stables to get Lightning and start the lessons for tonight where he can help Octavius learn everything he needs to know about horse riding, hopefully before the night is through.

They end up in the middle of the diorama and Jedediah dismounts from Lightning before prompting Octavius to do the same thing.

"Now to truly see if you have gained any skills, I must see you mount with complete ease in a copy the leader style," Jedediah challenges with a smirk, wanting to see just how good Octavius' skills are starting to come along.

Jedediah grabs the top curve of Lightning's saddle before pulling himself up onto the saddle in less than two seconds flat. The saddle makes a slight jingling sound as Jedediah distributes his weight and then spreads his hands out above his head in victory.

"Now you do that, Ockie," the blonde cowboy instructs, wanting to see Octavius' skill set thus far and how it has rounded out.

Octavius walks over to Spirit before grabbing the top curve of the saddle just like Jedediah did less than thirty seconds earlier. The general then swings himself onto the saddle, a soft 'Yes' escaping his lips as he makes sure his weight is balanced on the saddle. He raises his arms in the air like Jedediah, but to less of an extent as he does not want to fall off so soon on his first night of independent riding.

"Wow! That was—That was great, Octavius!" Jedediah cheers, shooting a thumbs up over at his best friend and student for the night.

"Thank you. So, what are we going to do first?" Octavius asks in an excited tone, wanting to see what Jedediah has in store for them tonight.

"I thought we could ride around the diorama for a bit and just make sure you're completely comfortable with bein' on the saddle 'fore we get to gallopin' and ridin' at fast speeds," Jedediah reveals before turning Lightning and then walking the paint stallion back towards where the others in the Western diorama.

"Sounds good to me, Jedediah," Octavius grins, falling in step beside Jedediah and faring well on horseback alone.

The two best friends ride back into the heart of the diorama. Octavius remains a little more reserved in his horse-riding; he stays in the middle of the saddle and keeps both hands on the reins. Jedediah, on the other hand, is an experienced rider, so he leans further back on the saddle, puffing out his chest a little and giving a sweet smile to some of the women that walk past him. The famous blonde cowboy tips his hat to some of them, making a few of the women giggle and blush a light red. Jedediah then places his black Stetson back on his head before moving to only holding the reins with one hand while just enjoying riding slowly around town with Octavius by his side. Nothing would ever break the brotherly bond the two of the share, of that Jedediah is sure of.

After about an hour of riding just for fun, Jedediah begins to get that look in his eyes that usually tells Octavius he is up to something crazy or risky.

"Watch me and do exactly what I do," Jedediah instructs the Roman, his smile getting wider before he kicks his boots against Lightning's sides. "Yee-haw!" Jedediah whoops as Lightning gallops quickly across the sand, leaving hoof-prints behind him as he starts to race through the desert, wind whipping through his hair.

It is a moment like this that Jedediah lives for. It is a moment like this that Jedediah remembers his days in the West when he was a lot more than three inches tall. Tossing a look over his shoulder, Jedediah smiles upon seeing Octavius racing after him, a grin unlike any other Jedediah has ever seen on Octavius' face. The Roman is finally doing it; he is getting to loosen up and become freer with less of his usual responsibilities weighing on his mind.

 _"_ _Oh, yeah. I could get used to a freer, less of a rule-abider Octavius. Maybe then we could get into even more trouble than we usually do… "_ Jedediah muses in his head, turning around before seeing something that worries him.

Octavius' left foot is slipping out of the stirrups and the general starts to fall over to the left side, which makes Jedediah shout out a warning to his best friend.

"Octavius, watch your foot! Look out, partner!" Jedediah shouts, pulling Lightning to a halt to try and help Octavius.

Octavius' right foot slips out of the stirrup as well and he slips off of the saddle before falling off into the dirt on his back, grimacing as the harsh ground makes contact with his shoulder. Jedediah instantly jumps off of his horse's back, rushing over to Octavius to see if his best friend and brother is okay and is still with him.

"Are you okay?" Jedediah asks in major concern, leaning down on his knees beside Octavius, not wanting the Roman to be hurt or even unconscious like he was after their car accident a few months ago.

"No! I am not okay!" Octavius winces, clutching his shoulder as he tries to sit up to see if the rest of him felt any better than his shoulder does right now. "I think I broke something, or dislocated it, or…." Octavius begins to mumble before Jedediah grasps Octavius' shoulder and roughly yanks it back.

That motion makes Octavius yell in a pained tone, but he soon stops screaming before rolling his arm back and forth to find that his shoulder no longer hurts as much as it did just a few seconds ago.

"Better?" Jedediah smiles, offering Octavius a hand up, which the older man gladly takes.

"Yes, thank you! How did you do that, Jedediah? That was amazing!" Octavius answers back, impressed by his best friend's skill at curing pain and diminishing it when others are hurt.

"Old cowboy trick. Take the mind off the pain and then pop the joint back into place," Jedediah explains before dusting Octavius' back off. "Everybody's bound to fall off the horse at least once while they're learnin'. I fell off and had to get stitches on my forehead," Jed admits.

That produces a laugh from Octavius as he imagines a young Jedediah falling off a horse and needing to get a few stitches to offset the damage he endured.

"So, what do we do when we fall off the horse?" the blonde inquires, wanting to get Octavius back up and riding before the Roman could have any second thoughts.

"We get back up," Octavius says in his proud and usual Roman domination voice that makes him sound so strong, especially when talking about a challenge he wishes to face.

"Now, come on. Let's try that again. This time, don't fall off," Jedediah jokes, heading off to mount Lightning to continue their night of horseback riding.

"Ha-ha," Octavius sarcastically laughs, pushing Jedediah from behind and swiping Jedediah's Stetson from the blonde's head.

"Gaius Octavius! Ya better give me my hat back, Toga Boy!" Jedediah shouts, running after Octavius only to see the Roman mount his buckskin stallion and begin running through the desert of the Wild West diorama again.

"You'll have to catch me first, my friend!" Octavius challenges, not stopping for anything as he increases the distance between himself and Jedediah.

Jedediah wastes no time jumping onto the saddle of his own horse before kicking Lightning into full gallop and practically flying across the desert sand. At many points in time all four of Lightning's hooves are off of the ground and Jedediah does feel like he is flying through the air. Jedediah catches up to Octavius soon enough, being comfortable enough in a saddle where he can attain higher speeds and not feel like he is going to fall off and break parts of his body. The blonde cowboy snatches his hat back from Octavius before taking the brown Stetson he loaned to the general from Octavius' head as he continues to quickly run through the desert without a care in the world.

"Yee-haw!" Jedediah yells over the howling wind- more like the air coming into the diorama from the air vent. "Come on, Ockie!" Jedediah continues, wanting Octavius to both yell over the "wind" and continue to ride through the Wild West diorama at an even faster pace.

"Whoo!" Octavius shouts as well, tilting his head back and letting the air whoosh through his dark brown hair that he usually has covered by his helmet.

Tonight, with his hair not under a helmet- or hat like it was before Jedediah snatched the Stetson- Octavius is able to feel the wind flow through his hair like it did back before he was in the Roman army. Octavius eventually is able to catch up to Jedediah either because Jedediah slowed down or because he went faster, the great general is not sure. The two friends continue riding around the diorama, both of them feeling free to yell as loudly as they wish. Jedediah is starting to rub off on Octavius and vice versa, which isn't a bad thing to say the least. They circle the Wild West diorama twice before heading back towards the center of the town, their horses heaving as they finally pull to a stop near the water troughs.

Jedediah and Octavius slip off the saddles and land on the ground with hardly any noise at all. The blonde slaps the brown Stetson back on Octavius' head, which makes Octavius laugh at how Jedediah haphazardly throws the hat on his head. Jed then tosses Octavius a small bandanna before dipping his own red bandanna in the well nearby before resting the now wet and cool cloth against his neck and face.

"Get it wet and place it on your face, Ockie. We still got a lot left to do tonight before calling it quits," Jedediah smiles, resting against a fence post as the cold water runs down the back of his neck and re-hydrates his skin after losing a lot of water through perspiration.

"I'm going to be vomitably ill," Octavius remarks in a lower tone voice than normal as he steadies himself against a fence near Jedediah.

The Roman then drapes the cold bandanna against his neck, appreciating the water as it sinks into his skin and cools him down after his night of riding through the desert.

"Nah, Ockie. That's just your stomach catchin' up with the rest of ya," Jed jokes with a smile. "All the new cowboys get that feeling when they first start riding fast like that. It'll pass," Jedediah continues before taking his Stetson off and wiping his forehead after pushing his unruly mop of blonde hair out of the way.

"Yes, well, I think the cool water is helping to alleviate a bit of that feeling," Octavius smiles, accepting the canteen of water that Jedediah is passing to him that the blonde got out of Lightning's saddle bag.

About five minutes later, Octavius and Jedediah mount their horses again before starting to ride towards the center of Jedediah's town once more.

As they each the outskirts of the miniature Western town, Jedediah walks Lightning directly into Octavius and Spirit's path, which makes Octavius slow Spirit to a stop whereas not to crash into the cowboy and paint stallion

"You're a quick study, Ockie. But, there's one more thing you need to learn before riding into town square again," Jedediah grins before getting that look in his light blue eyes that Octavius knows all too well by now. "Feel free. Be free," Jedediah instructs, which makes Octavius cock an eyebrow in confusion. "Feel free, just like me," the blonde cowboy continues before throwing his head back and letting out a loud wolf howl like he and his men used to do- and still do- on the plains.

Shane, Roy, and John howl back from their positions in the town's center, which makes Jedediah howl back before he prompts Octavius to do the same with a nod of his head. Octavius sucks in a deep breath before tilting his head skyward and letting out a rather loud and undignified wolf howl, which actually sounds quite similar to an actual wolf call. Then Jedediah and Octavius mouth 'one, two, three' to each other before they both begin howling, which travels through the whole diorama and catches on with nearly everyone in the Western town, men, women, and children alike. That's how Teddy, Sacagawea, and Texas find the two miniature leaders, howling with their heads tilted back and Octavius wearing cowboy clothes.

"I wondered how long it would take for Jedediah to make a cowboy out of Octavius," Teddy smiles, pressing a quick kiss to Sacagawea's cheek as he turns around to face her.

"Yes. It indeed seems like Jedediah has managed to teach Octavius all of the cowboy ways," Sacagawea grins back, which makes Teddy chuckle lightly as not to disturb Octavius and Jedediah's howling like wolves. "All that remains is for Octavius to make a Roman out of Jedediah," Sacagawea admits, knowing that Octavius would certainly try to make that come true.

"I feel like that would take a bit longer than Jedediah took to turn Octavius into an honorary cowboy," Teddy jokes, earning him a soft swat on the arm from Sacagawea before they ride off.

Not noticing neither Teddy and Sacagawea's arrival nor departure, Octavius and Jedediah eventually stop their impressions of wolves and start to ride into town, smiles on both of their faces.

"Man, Ockie! Your spirit animal must be a wolf or somethin'!" Jedediah expresses in shock and an impressed tone of voice.

"It might be. Now, what exactly is going on here?" Octavius inquires in confusion while looking around to figure out the situation around him.

There are two separate pens that are set up in the middle of the Western civilization along with many men on horseback surrounding what appears to be a pen of cows to Octavius. He is not quite sure he has ever seen whatever this course of action is before.

"You don't get this whole farm concept, do ya?" Wallace, one of Marshall's men that Jedediah frankly despises with all of his guts.

"Hey, Wallace! Ya leave Octavius outta this or your sorry butt's gonna have a lot more to worry about then how you're gonna pay your next bar tab!" Jedediah growls through gritted teeth, not liking it when anybody other than him picks on or teases Octavius.

"We're doing what's called cattle sorting, Octavius," Casey, one of Jedediah's better friends and most reliable workers in the Western diorama says, riding up to Octavius and Jedediah with a smile on his face and excitement in his emerald green eyes.

Cattle sorting has always been a favorite job of Casey's; Jedediah likes to joke that Casey just likes to show off in front of his girlfriend- soon to be fiancée if Casey has anything more to say about it- named Sadie.

"I literally have no idea what that means or what its purpose is," Octavius responds, still confused as to what cattle sorting is and why Casey seems to be so excited to be participating in it.

"City slicker," Jedediah mumbles under his breath with a smile on his face, which makes Octavius elbow him in the ribs while still remaining balanced on the saddle. "Cattle sorting is when we gotta divide the cow herds into two separate pens 'cause either the herd is too big or we're plannin' on sellin' some o' the steers we got," Jedediah explains to Octavius, which makes the Roman general understand quite a bit more than he did coming over to the pens not long ago.

"Oh. So, you put the females and calves in one pen and these steers in another?" Octavius guesses while straightening himself on the saddle where he does not fall off again.

"Did ya here that, Casey?" Jedediah smiles, patting Octavius on the back.

"I heard him, Jed," Casey grins back before he opens the gate and heads into the main pen with the cows.

"We'll make a cowboy outta him yet," Jedediah announces, his blue eyes housing both pride and a sense of achievement.

The blonde cowboy is proud that he was able to teach Octavius how to ride a horse regardless of the trouble and challenges the Roman faced. A sense of achievement comes from knowing that he is getting the general to open up a bit and become more free; Octavius is learning that there is more than one way to approach a problem. Jedediah is more than happy that he has brought about such a change in his best friend. Octavius has been given the opportunity to escape from his troubled past and grow as a well-rounded person that the Roman army never really helped to enrich or encourage a multi-talented individual.

"You're not thinking—" Octavius starts of, his dark brown eyes widening as he realizes what Jedediah is implying.

"Yep! You're gonna help us sort cattle, Ockie!" Jedediah shouts before he opens the gate and motions for Octavius to go forward.

Octavius remains rooted in the same spot, noticing how large the cows are in comparison to him. Even miniature cows and horses are much larger than the miniature men, women, and children are in order to keep the sizes in proportion for the sake of accuracy.

"I don't know, Jedediah. I'm just learning how to ride a horse, my friend. I would not wish to injure myself, any others, or ruin your cattle sorting endeavor," Octavius quietly remarks to where only Jedediah can hear him.

The Roman general didn't need the entire Western diorama thinking that he is either a wimp or a scaredy cat.

Jedediah notices the slightly shaky and alarmed tone that Octavius replies in.

"You okay? Nervous?" Jedediah softly inquires like one would do when comforting a small child who is afraid of thunderstorms.

The blonde cowboy's question merits a simple nod from Octavius as the brown Stetson slips down to cover Octavius' eyes and most of his face.

"It's all right to be nervous if you're new," Jedediah assures in an encouraging tone while resting a reassuring hand on Octavius' shoulder.

Octavius takes the moment to push the brown Stetson off of his own face where he can look Jedediah in the eyes.

"Really?" Octavius inquires, starting to feel a bit better about the whole situation, regardless of the annoyed sighs coming from Marshall, Wallace, and the rest of the rebel cowboy's posse.

"Yep. Took me close to two years to convince Roy to finally help me round up all o' the cattle," Jedediah grins, making Roy hide a bit behind his hat where Jed does not see his embarrassed face. "You'll be okay. I'll keep an eye on ya," Jedediah promises, walking his paint stallion into the pen in order to get the cattle sorting done for the night.

"Thank you for your help, my friend. Now, what should I do to help out?"

"All you gotta do is follow my lead."

With that, Octavius follows behind Jedediah into the gate, hearing the metal click shut behind him as Sadie closes the gate behind the men before climbing up to sit on the divider and watch Casey with an amused smile on her face. Sadie could probably help the men sort cattle, but she is very aware that Jedediah, Casey, Roy, and Shane seem to have a running competition going that leaves very few cows for anyone else in the pens.

"All right, boys! Listen up! Casey an' I will split off the steers from the cows and calves. Shane, you an' Roy work with the calves; John you an' Wyatt get the cows into the center where hopefully they won't panic about the calves bein' separated for now," Jedediah instructs before he begins to race through the pen with his hair blowing in the wind the ride creates as his hat starts to flap along with the air rushing past the blonde cowboy. Octavius sits still on his horse for a while, not quite sure what to do. Eventually, as Jedediah begins to push two steers towards Casey by pushing the steers against the side of the fence where they cannot escape back into the center circle of the pen where the females and calves are.

"Casey, take these two an' put 'em in Pen Three," Jedediah yells over the mooing and various other cow calls before rushing off to let Casey work his way in between the cows.

The green-eyed cowboy follows Jed's instructions to the letter, kicking his heels against his horse's side before driving the two steers into the pen marked with a giant three.

"Jed! Me an' Roy are gonna get some o' the calves into Pen Two where the cows can stop tryin' to rush past John and Wyatt!" Shane shouts before breaking off in the center of the pen, roping one calf that seems to be lagging behind the others.

"Sound good, amigo!" Jed grins, seeing Roy racing through the pen with three calves either in front or to the side of him, depending on where the seventeen-year-old cowboy is riding at any given moment.

Roy is able to get all three calves into the pen before he shuts the gate tight, not wanting all his hard work to go to waste. The young man- almost man if you count eighteen as being a man- smiles before wiping the sweat off his forehead and then riding to help Shane detach the last calf that remains roped in Shane's lasso.

"Octavius, you need to go and get that last steer, kemosabe!" Jedediah yells as he attempts to help John and Wyatt with the cows who are starting to get panicked due to not being able to find their calves.

"Now I know you're mental!" Octavius calls over all the noise once he sees how big and dangerous the steer in front of him and Spirt is.

The steer has horns nearly twice as long as Octavius' arms and a look on his face that makes Octavius believe the male animal has had quite a disagreement with humans in the past. But, not wanting to disappoint his best friend and honorary brother, Octavius starts to spur Spirit forward, only to find out he is heading in the wrong direction from both the steer and the desired pen Jedediah wants the animal in. Octavius quickly course corrects though, being used to spur of the moment moves with being a Roman general for many years. The Roman urges his stallion forward, cornering the dangerous steer before running off towards the pen, making the steer charge after him. At the last second as the steer starts to lower its head to crash its horns against Spirit's legs, Octavius ducks both himself and his loyal stallion out of the way, which sends the steer practically skidding into the pen. Dallas swings down from his position on the pen to slam the gate shut, giving Octavius a thumbs up in the process.

"That was mighty fine cowboy riding for a Roman, Octavius," Casey admits in a kind and sincere voice, which makes Octavius beam with pride.

"Thank you, Casey. How did I do, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires with a huge grin, thinking he has done really well in his training.

"I think ya did amazing, Octo! Well done, partner!" Jedediah cheers, opening the main gate for both Octavius and himself to head out into the main part of the diorama. "Now, before we go to ride around in the car, I want to teach you some stuff," the blonde admits, jumping down off of Lightning's saddle before heading around to where he and his men keep their target practice equipment. "Come on," he grins, urging Octavius to dismount from the horse and follow him.

The two friends arrive at the target practice range, which gives Octavius a sense of dread or apprehension in the pit of his stomach. He never is quite sure what Jedediah may have him do.

"You just follow me," Jedediah instructs before he begins to basically kiss his own thumbs, which Octavius finds strange.

"What's that?" Octavius inquires, not sure what in the world Jedediah is doing.

"Sensitivity. It increases the reflexes," Jedediah explains. "An old gunslinger taught me that one in the West a long time ago," the cowboy grins as he thinks of the memory.

Jedediah then reaches his hands towards his holsters, pulling out his trusty pistols out of their respective holsters on his hips. He manages to get them out with one quick motion, making Octavius step back in surprise and slight alarm, not understanding what Jedediah is doing now.

"These are guns," the blonde remarks in an explaining tone.

"I know that," Octavius responds in an unimpressed and deadpan tone, wondering why Jedediah has the need to explain this.

"Well, Mr. Know It All," Jedediah starts off before continuing with his lesson. "These can be your best friend or your worst enemy," he continues before spinning both pistols in his hands to the fascination of Octavius. "That's a spin in my left hand," Jedediah comments, twirling the left pistol. "That's a spin in my right hand," he remarks before spinning the right pistol the exact same way he just spun the left gun. "That's two spins."

This time both pistols spin before Jedediah starts to hand the one in his left hand to Octavius.

"Now, here, I'm gonna let you hang onto this," he says gently, watching as Octavius reaches a hand out for the pistol. Jed then jerks it back with a spin, causing Octavius to pull back in confusion. "See? Whoa. Be careful, Octavius. Always be ready," Jedediah cautions, letting Octavius know the rules of the West where not everyone fights with honor like they do in Rome. "Always be ready. Some o' the men here don't fight fair or with honor like you're used to, Ockie. I want ya to keep that in mind," the blonde honestly tells his best friend and brother, looking at the Roman with a serious expression on his face.

"I will keep that in mind, Jedediah. Thank you for telling me," Octavius gratefully says, happy that Jedediah gave him that piece of extremely helpful advice.

"Now, try to exhale for long-range shots, inhale for close-range," Jedediah instructs which makes Octavius breathe in deeply.

 _"_ _Surely Jedediah does not believe I am actually going to fire one of these things. Then again…. These guns don't even work! I have nothing to fear!" Octavius silently remarks in his head, now feeling that he can't possibly make a fool of himself without any real effect coming out of the miniature pistols._

"Cover up your ears, 'cause this could be loud," Jedediah instructs, taking aim with the pistol resting in his right hand and his index finger on the trigger. "Cover up your ears," the cowboy says again, wanting to make sure that Octavius was not really alarmed or scared into firing his own pistol at the sound of Jedediah shooting at the target.

Octavius does end up covering his ears, even though he knows that nothing will come of Jedediah shooting the pistol. None of the guns in the Western diorama have ever fired anything other than a click, and the Roman general is convinced that they never will. To his surprise, a loud bang actually does erupt and Jedediah's pistol fires for the first time ever- as far as Octavius knows. Interestingly enough, Jedediah's shot completely misses the target and ends up falling into the sand somewhere. Jedediah has never particularly been known to be the best shot in the West.

"Amazing! How on Earth did you get it to fire tonight, my friend?" Octavius asks in awe, having neither heard nor seen one of the Western guns actually fire before.

"Gunpowder, Ockie!" Jed announces with a slight smile as he reloads the pistol with a few extra rounds of ammo. "Shane, John, an' our blacksmith found out none of the ammo or guns had any in them," the cowboy admits before taking three more shots that each result in failure as well.

The first shot lands so far behind the target that Shane comes running over from the stables to see if anyone is hurt. Embarrassed by his failure to hit the target, Jedediah blames it on the air vent being turned on suddenly.

"I don't feel any-" Octavius starts off, only to be nudged harshly by Jedediah.

"They just turned it back off, Toga Boy," Jedediah grumbles, wishing that Octavius hadn't mentioned there being no air on in the Western diorama.

"Right," Shane smirks, knowing very well that Jedediah faced no opposition from the wind. "Well, then I'll let you get back to instructin' Octavius then, Jed," Shane remarks with a laugh before walking away.

Jedediah knits his eyebrows in annoyance. Sometimes he can't stand Shane McCann…

Jedediah's seconds shot is much like his first; it misses. By a lot. This time, the cowboy's shot ends up about twenty miniature-sized steps to the right of the target. The third time Jedediah fires his pistol at the target, he misses by almost twenty-five miniature paces- Jed needed to aim further right as the bullet landed too far left.

"I can't figure out what in the heck is wrong with this today," Jedediah mumbles, beginning to dismantle the pistol to try to see if the problem is internal.

A loud noise makes both Octavius and Jedediah look up in slight confusion.

"Is everything okay?" Hannah inquires as she and Ahkmenrah look into the diorama with concerned looks on both their faces.

"Yes, Lady Hannah; everything is all right," Octavius remarks in an assuring tone.

"What is going on? Attila started screaming about he heard strange noises coming from this hall. We feared the worst that the Mayans had escaped," Ahkmenrah quietly says, true worry sketched on his face as his green eyes scan the Wild West diorama for any injuries.

"Nope. I was just showin' Ockie how ta fire a gun," Jedediah says in a nonchalant tone, almost as if he had announced something as trivial as that the sky is blue.

"Oh, well, if that's all," Hannah starts to say before realizing what Jedediah actually said.

His calm tone had thrown her off and not made her realize exactly what he had said.

"How did…. Is anyone going to get hurt?" the nineteen-year-old college student inquires, not wanting to have to use her college medical training yet again.

First it was Jedediah and Octavius' car crash, then it was Attila thinking he had broken one of Columbus' arms- which made for a very weird night as Hannah tried to see if the bronze man even had bones at night- and then the most recent event was helping Teddy get over his whiplash he got from riding a zebra and then having seven chariot races. It's easy to say her nights at the museum since they started about a year and a half ago- it would be exactly a year and a half in a matter of a week- have been interesting to say the least. Hannah definitely didn't think she'd get to put her medical knowledge to work before she will even enter medical school in about two years- give or take a few months since college lets out in May and med school would start that August the year she graduates.

"Nah, Hannah! Don't worry, girl. We aren't gonna brain nobody," Jedediah insists with a wave of his hand.

"Charming," Octavius sarcastically remarks, not believing that Jedediah managed to make a promise turn into something as violent as that.

"Be careful, my friends. I do not wish to have to experiment with the Tablet's power on how to fix bullet holes or bring people back to life even more so than we already are," Ahkmenrah remarks with a straight face as he looks at Jedediah in particular.

The young Pharaoh receives three looks of concern and absolute mortified expressions on Hannah's, Octavius', and Jedediah's faces, respectively.

"Too dark?" Ahkmenrah asks with a slight blush appearing on his lightly tanned cheeks as he diverts his green eyes from the others around him.

"Just a little bit, Ahkmenrah," Hannah answers, placing her hand on her Pharaoh boyfriend's arm to tell him that he was darker than he needed to be in that situation.

"It was kinda a scary thing ta hear from ya to be honest, Ahk," Jedediah reveals, turning back to face the target once more.

"I seriously am having misgivings about this idea now," Octavius admits, a concerned look spreading across his face as he fingers the weapon in his hand.

"Just say what ya mean, Ockie! Ya know I never understand all o' those fancy words ya use all the time," Jed remarks, rolling his blue eyes at the Roman's need to use proper speech _all the time._

"It means doubts, Jedediah, my friend," the general explains with a slight sigh, having noticed the eye roll that the cowboy did when he thought Octavius was not working.

Jedediah just shrugs his shoulders, a motion that Octavius is not quite sure what it means.

Hannah and Ahkmenrah leave the Hall of Miniatures to go play soccer in the lobby with Attila, the other Huns, Columbus, Sacagawea and Teddy. Hannah is a team captain with Teddy, two of the Huns, and Columbus. Sacagawea is the other team's captain with Attila, Ahkmenrah, and the other two Huns on her team. Meanwhile, Octavius and Jedediah are still attempting to get Octavius to use one of Jed's pistols, which is not turning out well for either man.

"Octavius, ya need to trust me, partner. Would I ever give ya somethin' that could hurt you?"

"Well…. No. You would not."

Jedediah prods Octavius into trying to fire the gun, which results in some pretty humorous results. Octavius raises the cowboy's pistol up to his chest, a nervous look on his face as he prepares to fire the gun. To both men's surprise, Octavius clicks the trigger and the Roman hits the target dead in the center, a perfect bulls-eye.

"There ain't no way. There just ain't no way," Jedediah whispers, not believing his eyes before he goes up to the target to examine and see if Octavius actually hit the center of the target.

"I take it that is a good mark?" Octavius grins, knowing very well that a bull's eye is exactly what any gunslinger would be proud of.

"Beginner's luck," Jedediah scoffs, beginning to walk back towards Octavius.

BANG!

Jedediah jumps back as a bullet nearly grazes and embeds itself in his foot.

"Dang it, Octavius! What in the heck are ya tryin' ta do? Shoot my foot clean off?" Jedediah demands, snatching the firearm from his best friend.

"I'm sorry, my friend. I told you I had no idea how to work one of these things," Octavius says in an embarrassed tone, hiding his face behind the brown Stetson he still has from the night before.

"Yeah, well, that's obvious. Let's call it a night and go ridin' in the car," Jedediah sighs, taking off his black Stetson to wipe sweat off his forehead and try to tame his unruly blonde hair.

"All right. Tomorrow night you shall come to Rome and I will try to teach you some Roman techniques," Octavius grins, liking the challenge of trying to teach Jedediah how to be proper.

The next evening certainly would have humorous results, of that Octavius is sure.

"That's gonna be mighty hard for ya, Ockie."

"Don't I know it. I don't know if you'd ever pass as being a presentable Roman."

"I'd watch that mouth if I were you, Toga Boy…"

"Or what?"

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 11! Yes, I am aware it's Wednesday and I know I said I would try for Mondays, but I had a lot of schoolwork on Monday and last night. This weekend was pretty light in regards to amount of homework, but I was playing Sims with my sister. (We made Teddy, Sacagawea, and Rexy- Rexy was a Saint Bernard puppy- and then we let Sacagawea and Teddy have their own kids in the game that we didn't create ourselves. We also played a game with Octavius, Atia, their children, and Jedediah. (It was hilarious, just so you know!) Well, that's all I have to say for now, except for that I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as I can! Until Chapter 12, my friends!**

 _P.S., for all of you who have asked if I take requests, the answer is: yes, I do. With some conditions, though. I WILL NOT write slash, as I do not think of anyone in this fandom as being that type of pairing like I commonly see in this fandom. Slash is just not something I will read or write. Sorry if I have offended anyone, but I am being honest about my feelings. In addition, send your requests to me and they will either be incorporated to this story or into a one-shot if I cannot fit it in the framework I already have set for this story. I do, however, have two spots open for this chapter as I have combined a few of my own ideas for this story. Oh, and_ **arwenishtar,** _the second movie will not come into play until Chapter 30, give or take since there was the two-year period the museum went without Larry. (I have given myself the position of acting as night guard in his absence, as I'm sure you have seen. Is anyone still reading this note at this point? If you are, thank you, and type :) at the end of your review to tell me you read to here. I've always wondered if anyone ever reads my entire author's note….._


	12. I'll Make A Roman Out Of You

**Chapter 12**

 **Disclaimer: I still only own my OCs. Everyone else belongs to Shawn Levy and Twentieth Century Fox. Oh, and the name to this chapter was inspired from the song "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from the Disney movie** ** _Mulan._**

 ****" _Payback will be mine to serve tonight!" Octavius silently muses in his head, a smile creeping onto his lips._

Yesterday the Roman general had promised- or more like challenged- Jedediah that tonight they would endeavor to make Jedediah into a passable Roman. Octavius is quietly pondering why he chose to accept such an impossible challenge; he is starting to doubt that Jedediah could retain enough discipline to learn what it's like to be a Roman soldier. Oh, well. If Jedediah had been able to teach Octavius how to be a cowboy, then Octavius would not back down from teaching the blonde how to be Roman. He would not allow Jedediah to call him a chicken for not trying to teach his culture…..

"Marcus!" Octavius shouts over the indistinct cries of his men as they start sparring for the night.

"Yes, my liege?" Marcus inquires, telling his son Maximus to wait for him on the practice battlefield.

"I am journeying into the Western diorama to retrieve Jedediah for his lessons this night," Octavius explains, straightening his helmet before walking towards the tunnel that connects the Wild West and Roman dioramas.

"His lessons?" Marcus questions in confusion, not quite following his commanding officer's statement.

"You are aware I was gone all last night, yes?" Octavius responds, turning on his heel to face his friend and fellow soldier.

"Yes. I recall you being in the Western diorama with Jedediah for the past few nights," Marcus assures, not wanting Octavius to think he has a faulty memory.

"You are correct, my friend. Jedediah made it his mission to teach me how to ride a horse with a saddle, how to fire one of his guns, and I even participated in what is known as a cattle drive," Octavius beams, proud of learning all Jedediah had to teach him in just two nights.

"That was a beneficial training session for you, Octavius," Marcus truthfully remarks, feeling free to lose the formalities with the general when other soldiers are not around. "You need someone who can teach you skills and vice-versa. Jedediah's brotherhood is excellent for both of you; you get to have the sibling and mentor you never had growing up while Jedediah gets a teacher and brotherly connection with you," Marcus grins, glad to see that Octavius' familial relationship with Jedediah is benefitting both leaders.

Octavius smiles at the fact that Marcus is admitting he knows his general is brothers with Jedediah before responding.

The general clears his throat before responding to his most trusted friend and confidant in the Roman army.

"Yes, it was very beneficial! I am most pleased with how our sharing of information is being carried out," Octavius admits, grabbing his sword from the anvil where Cassius has been smoothing out the unnatural curves of the blade. "Thank you, Cassius. My sword looks better than before. Marcus, I am off to bring Jedediah to our battlefield where I can make him into a Roman soldier," he continues in a cheerful tone, ready to start training.

"Good luck with that, Octavius. Jedediah is as wild as the wind during a storm," Marcus laughs, clapping Octavius over the shoulder. "It will be a challenge to discipline his fiery spirit," the second-in-command jokes as he thinks of Jedediah Smith's famous temper.

"I am sure teaching him Roman discipline will be a tremendous task," Octavius admits, a statement which makes Marcus smirk. "Which is why you are going to assist me, Marcus," Octavius smirks at the brown-haired, blue-eyed soldier.

"Fortuna, why do you desert me now?" Marcus jests, brining reference to the Roman goddess of fortune, earning him a slight shove on the back from Octavius.

With that, General Gaius Octavius begins his jaunt into the tunnel that connects the Roman and Western dioramas.

Jedediah is impatiently waiting for Octavius in the Western diorama. The blonde cowboy's hands clench at his sides, his knuckles turning white from the strength of his own grip. His blue eyes blaze dangerously as he overlooks his people from the top of the mountain range. Jedediah's breath comes out in short, ragged gasps as he openly grows more frustrated by the second. He wants to punch something. He wants to punch _someone._ He wants to punch Wallace. That no-good, rotten, low-down, jerky Wallace had made Jedediah see red. It took all Jedediah's resolve not to mutilate the other cowboy right then and there. Wallace….. Jedediah dislikes him. No. Jedediah despises him. No. Jedediah hates him with all his guts. Definitely. Wallace had made an incredibly sour and harsh comment about Octavius, and that was enough to drive Jedediah over the edge. No one is allowed to tease the cowboy's Roman brother except the blonde in question. (At least that's what Jedediah has said on countless occasions.) So when Wallace called Octavius a "dumb city boy not meant ta be socializin' with us Westerns" – Wallace's exact words- it took all Jedediah has in him not to shoot the man dead. Jedediah Smith would get revenge on the man who defies every rule and dares to insult Octavius one night in the near future if the blonde has anything to say about it.

Octavius manages to slip into the Western diorama without attracting much attention.

 _"_ _That's just as well," Octavius muses in his head, a smirk starting to play on his lips. "I shall return on the surprise attack on Jedediah that he played on me last night."_

"Howdy, Octavius," Casey smiles at the Roman general while tipping his Stetson at Jedediah's brother; the green-eyed cowboy has Sadie by his side as they walk towards the tunnel near where Octavius is walking in.

"Good evening, Octavius," Sadie grins, beginning to curtsy before I cut her off.

"No, no, Sadie. Please do not feel the need to curtsy in my presence. I do not feel myself as being superior to your people or to women in the way most Roman men did," Octavius gently comments, extending a hand to help Sadie off of the dusty ground. "Do either of you know where I may find Jedediah this evening?" the general continues to ask, looking around and not seeing Jedediah anywhere.

"I'm thinkin' he's at the top of the mountain," Casey answers, motioning over to the possible location of Jedediah. "What are you two plannin' on doin' tonight, Octavius?" the green-eyed cowboy inquires, wrapping an arm around Sadie in the process.

"Tonight I am going to try and teach Jedediah the Roman soldier's way of life. I am going to teach him techniques like he taught me cowboy skills these past few nights," Octavius replies, bowing slightly at Sadie. "I bid thee well, dear lady. Casey, I hope you enjoy your evening with your beloved. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go get Jedediah where we can start our training for the night," the Roman grins before turning on his heel, his cape swishing behind him as he walks through the golden sand to try and find Jedediah.

Casey and Sadie wave their hands after the Roman general before they continue on their way towards the lake where Casey has promised to have a picnic prepared for himself and his girlfriend.

Octavius climbs up the mountain range, his sides heaving slightly once he finishes making the excursion up the side of the rather tall mountain range. When he reaches the top, Octavius spots a familiar black Stetson hovering above the ground behind the oak tree he had fallen asleep under not too long ago. The general cracks a smile, knowing that Jedediah must be behind the oak tree, since the famed cowboy never goes anywhere without his prized hat. Octavius gets a mischievous smile on his face as he comes up with a plan on how to get even with Jedediah after the general had been taken by surprise and thought Jedediah was an intruder on Roman soil. He creeps up behind Jedediah before grasping one of Jedediah's wrists in one hand and swiping the black Stetson off the cowboy's head with the other. Jedediah sharply gasps, thinking that Octavius is Wallace, Marshall, or another evil cowboy.

"Hello, Jedediah," Octavius grins, holding Jedediah's Stetson just out of the blonde's reach.

"Ah! How many times are ya gonna sneak up on me?" Jedediah demands, wheeling around to face Octavius before jerking his wrist away from the darker haired man.

"Well, I can't very well tap you on the shoulder," Octavius deadpans, which brings a smile onto Jedediah's lips as well. "That would not help me pay you back for nearly giving me a heart attack last night," the Roman laughs, smashing Jed's hat back onto the unruly mop of blonde hair.

"Well, ya sure pulled one over on me this time, boy!" Jedediah smiles before starting to climb down the mountain with Octavius right behind him. "I was thinkin' you were never comin' with as slow as you were bein'," Jed continues, nudging Octavius in the ribs slightly, much to the Roman's displeasure.

Octavius sighs in response to Jedediah's rather childish behavior before he responds.

"Are you attempting to say you were impatient to begin your lessons and awaited my arrival with excitement?" Octavius jokes with a smirk, wanting to see what the cowboy's response will be.

"Heck no! I wasn't lookin' forward to your stank lessons!" Jedediah attempts to convince his best friend. "I was waitin' to prove that ya can't tame a spirit like mine, Toga Boy," he finishes with a confident tone of voice before adopting his signature hands-on-hips pose.

"Liar," Octavius accuses, a knowing look on his face and in his eyes.

"How'd ya know?" Jedediah all but demands, turning to face Octavius and figure out how the general was able to pick up on that emotion and feeling.

"Jedediah, my friend, you expressed true interest in learning the skills of my people. It is impossible for me not to understand your view on the world with as much time as we've spent together this past year and a half," Octavius replies before noticing Jedediah's posture become visibly more relaxed and the blonde's blue eyes return to their usual carefree twinkle.

" 'M sorry, Ockie. I didn't mean ta take my temper out on ya," Jedediah apologizes, gently patting Octavius on the back while they continue walking.

The lack of an _I_ in that sentence does not go unnoticed by Octavius, but he decides not to draw attention to the fact since Jedediah is apologizing. Jedediah _never_ apologizes, so when he does Octavius is sure to pay very close attention to his friend's words.

"It's just that varmint Wallace has gotten my temper flarin' up," the blonde reveals, kicking a rock that's in his path.

"Jedediah, I have no doubt that you could handle any resistance or opposition from that ruffian," Octavius remarks, a statement which appeases Jedediah.

"Thanks a bunch, Ockie. Now…. Last one to your diorama's a rotten egg and has to bathe the other's horse?"

"Deal! Now, onwards for the glory of Rome!"

The sound of their laughter and friendly banter carries through the Hall of Miniatures as they both attempt to win the impromptu race.

Jedediah reaches the diorama first, much to Octavius' displeasure.

"Ha! Cowboys rule and Romans drool!" Jedediah happily teases, pulling Octavius' helmet over the general's eyes.

"Hardly," Octavius scoffs at the cowboy's statement while rolling his brown eyes and moving his helmet out of his face. "It is very inefficient and taxing to run in a full suit of armor," he remarks in what Jedediah calls his "Roman snob" voice.

"Excuses," Jedediah laughs while stopping in front of Octavius' quarters to catch his breath. "'Sides, you're almost fi-" Jedediah starts off before being cut off by a slightly angered Octavius.

"Did you just say I was nearly fifty just then?" Octavius inquires in quite the insulted tone, not believing his own ears at this moment in time. Surely he had heard wrong…

"Yeah- I mean, no! No! NO! I didn't say that!" Jedediah shouts in defense, waving his hands and raising his voice into a higher octave like he does when he is unsure of a situation or is having to defend himself from saying the wrong thing. "But, I kinda thought it. Ockie, how old are ya anyway?! Ya know how old I am, but you've never told me your age!" Jedediah admits, a curious look etched on his face as he awaits the Roman's response.

"I'm forty-three, Jedediah. That is not nearly as old as you made me out to be," Octavius says in a slight huff, crossing his arms over his chest plate as his dark brown eyes narrow. "Octavia was born when I twenty-six and she was seventeen the year I was killed in our life before the museum," he admits, which makes Jedediah make an "oh" sound in understanding.

"Ya know I was only thirty-two when I was killed," Jedediah reminds, knowing very well that Octavius remembers this fact. "So, you're a whole _eleven_ years older than me. Whoo-wee," he realizes, not knowing there was such an age gap between himself and the Roman. (Well, aside from the two thousand historical years, give or take about three hundred years.)

"Yes, Jedediah; I remember that. Now, what are your terms for how you wish for Lightning to be bathed?" Octavius inquires, not really looking forward to cleaning Jed's equally as temperamental paint stallion.

"Now then, I expect Lightning to be spotless come this weekend an' I want his saddle shinin' where I can see my face in it," the blonde cowboy smirks, enjoying getting to boss Octavius around on a task as common as washing his horse and saddle.

"Why would you ever want to see such a horrendous sight?" Octavius jokes with a serious expression on his face, which prompts Jedediah into flinging himself at the Roman to try and tackle the older man to the ground.

Octavius merely sidesteps the assault, leading to Jedediah practically face-planting into the hard ground of the Roman diorama with a small grunt exiting his lips as his chest hits the floor.

"I was merely joking, my friend," the general apologizes, extending a hand to help Jedediah off of the ground. "It was payback for you saying I was near fifty."

"Ya coulda told me that 'fore I went tumblin' down on the ground," Jedediah barely mumbles under his breath, accepting Octavius' hand and allowing the Roman to pull him up off of the ground.

"Where would the fun in that be?" Octavius jokes with his famous dazzling smile. "Now, Jedediah, you must go into my quarters and you will find where I have laid out some clothing that will be acceptable and appropriate for tonight's training session," Octavius instructs, swiping Jedediah's hat from the blonde's head.

"What are ya gonna do with my hat, Toga Boy?" Jedediah shouts as soon as the black Stetson leaves his head.

"I'm simply going to put it in a safe place until we are done with tonight's training. A Stetson is not going to be worn during one of my training sessions. I am going to treat you just like one of my soldiers, so go and suit up. Then when you return we will begin to transform you into a Roman," Octavius answers, turning on his heel to go and find a hiding place for his best friend and brother's Stetson.

"Ya better hope nothin' bad happens to that hat, Gaius Octavius! If it does, you'll be in a world of hurt, boy!"

"Nothing is going to happen to your precious hat!"

"Drop the sarcasm, Octavius!"

"Just go and dress in the armor where we can start training before the sun rises!"

Jedediah sighs before turning around and opening the door to Octavius' quarters and finding the pile of what he assumes is his Roman attire for the night.

"Aw, heck no! Jedediah Smith is not gonna wear this! No way, no how!" Jedediah loudly remarks to himself, seeing all of the Roman soldier equipment laid out on the end of Octavius' bed.

 _"_ _Well, I guess I did make Octavius wear cowboy clothes. I guess the least I can do is try and wear his Roman getup," Jedediah thinks in his own mind before snatching the Roman armor off of the bed and beginning to put on the unfamiliar clothes._

Jedediah would not allow himself to let Octavius beat him in their skill exchange and learning process.

Twenty minutes later, Jedediah has still not come out of Octavius' house- for lack of better words on what to call the general's living space- and the Roman general lightly knocks on the front door to try and get an answer out of the blonde cowboy.

"Jedediah, are you coming out of the house any time soon? The army is growing restless, my friend," Octavius calls out, wanting to hear a response from the cowboy.

"I'm not goin' anywhere lookin' like this!" comes Jedediah's disgusted response as he looks at himself in the mirror Octavius has in his house.

"Why not?" Octavius smiles, all too aware of why Jedediah does not want to come out into full sight of the Roman army.

It was the same reason why Octavius felt like he couldn't come out of the Western tent wearing cowboy clothes; neither man has ever worn any clothes other than his own, so the change is sure to be disorienting at first.

"I look stupid, Ockie! This toga is not flattering at all an' my legs are too hairy to pull it off!" Jedediah shouts over the noise of the few Roman soldiers already starting to train while waiting on Jedediah.

"Jedediah, it is a _tunic_ for the last time, and you were the one to come up with the idea for us to swap skills. Now, get out here and we will start your first night as a Roman."

"Do ya promise not to laugh? 'Cause I won't come out unless ya promise you ain't gonna laugh at me!"

"I promise on my thoughts and memories of Atia, Octavia, Olivia, and Augustus that I will not laugh at you. Now, please come out; I will not ask you again."

Jedediah pops his head around the corner of the doorframe, and it takes Octavius a moment to notice what is off about the blonde's face. The famous Stetson that normally sits on Jedediah's head is missing, exposing his unruly mop of blonde hair that cannot seem to stay flat or in one place as it blows in the wind created by the air vent above the Roman diorama.

"Kindly return my hat to me," Jedediah all but commands, feeling weird without his leather accessory sitting on top of his head and hair.

"No," is Octavius' simple reply as he smirks at the cowboy. "I've hidden it. The only way you will get it back is if I deem you a worthy Roman soldier," Octavius explains, which makes Jedediah growl in frustration.

"Fine, Ockie. I'll play along with your evil scheme," Jed remarks, opening the door and revealing himself wearing a Roman tunic and armor with the exception of a helmet.

"That doesn't look too terrible, Jedediah. By the way you were speaking about yourself, I thought you were going to look utterly ridiculous."

"Can it Toga Boy, unless ya want my fist up your nose…."

With that, Octavius starts to lead Jedediah into the main part of the Roman diorama to get all of the soldiers ready for battle training tonight and hopefully have the disciplined men rub off on Jedediah.

They've only been walking for about two minutes before Jedediah starts to complain.

"Ow!" Jedediah yells out, feeling the piece of armor on his right leg tug against a small tree in the Roman diorama. "How do you guys wear this stuff?" he asks in disbelief, his chest heaving a bit as the chest plate weighs down on him since he is not used to the weight of Roman armor just yet. "It weighs more than me!" Jedediah exaggerates, which makes Octavius chuckle lightly at his statement while Jedediah attempts to fix his own piece of chest armor, much to the Roman's amusement as the cowboy actually makes the situation worse by turning the armor where it is now crooked on Jed's chest.

"Trust me. Wear it or you'll get killed," Octavius comments without a further word before he climbs onto his "pedestal" he generally stands on to give orders, a smirk on his face at Jedediah's priceless expression.

"Wait. What?" Jedediah asks in a shocked tone, not thinking that Octavius' men would get so fierce that they would actually _kill_ someone else in a simple sparring to practice their sword-fighting.

Not getting an answer, Jedediah decides to try a more distraught tone of voice to see if that will make Octavius answer him.

"What? Wait…..!" Jedediah practically yells, scrambling up onto the "pedestal" to stand beside Octavius since the general is the only Roman who knows exactly what Jedediah is here to do tonight.

"Bellatorum!" Octavius shouts in Latin before realizing that Jedediah most likely does not know the language of the Roman Empire even though the two of them have been friends for nearly eighteen months now. "Warriors! Fall in!" the general continues to call, which grabs every soldier's attention, even the younger soldiers like Maximus, Armenius, and Cato. "Hustle!" Octavius commands, noticing that a few of his younger and more free-spirited men- such as Percy and Felix- are still milling about the diorama looking like they are going to take their sweet time approaching their general. "Percy, Felix, stop lollygagging!" Octavius says in a stern voice, shooting the two nineteen-year-old men icy looks at their lack of listening skills tonight especially when Jedediah is their guest and trainee for the night.

"Come on, you two! General Octavius wants to get this session under way before the sun rises!" Marcus jokes, though he nudges the younger men forward before taking his own position in the ranks.

"Thank you, Marcus," Octavius gratefully says before turning his attention back to Jedediah who is still awkwardly attempting to fix the armor Octavius has let him borrow for the night. "Jedediah, step forward," he calmly instructs before placing a reassuring hand on his brother's left shoulder. "Jedediah is going to train with us tonight and I am going to attempt to make him into a Roman. During his training and sparring practice with us, everyone is to use Latin when you address him to try and give him the full Roman experience. Does everyone understand?" Octavius explains to his men, expecting answers from all of them.

" _Etiam , general!"_ all of Octavius' men shout back 'Yes, general' in Latin per Octavius' instructions.

" _Bene!"_ Octavius responds with one Latin form of the word 'good' before turning the attention to Jedediah. "Jedediah, you may speak to my men and address any concerns or fears you have about training with us tonight."

Jedediah nods his head and then clears his throat before speaking to all of the disciplined soldiers in front of him.

"Hey, y'all," Jedediah smiles, wanting to come over as a happy and excited student for the night. "I know that ya all know me by now. I'm excited ta be joinin' your ranks tonight; I know all of ya have tons of trainin' with being in Octavius' legion and all- Bet he works ya all to exhaustion, don't he?- and I know you'll probably have to bear with me while I learn the ropes," Jedediah starts off; his comment about Octavius emits a few laughs from the legion, but one stern look from Octavius kills the laughter in their throats. "Do I really know anything 'bout wieldin' a sword or bein' a Roman? No; I honestly can say that I don't. But, I'm here and I'm gonna give it my best shot," Jed promises before taking his position at the front of the ranks near Marcus where Octavius can keep an eye on the blonde cowboy.

Everyone in Octavius' legion claps for Jedediah before Octavius notices something seriously missing in Jedediah's new apparel.

"Where's your helmet, Jedediah?" Octavius inquires, noting that all of his other men have their traditional helmets with the red plumes standing out against their mostly silver armor.

"Nobody gave me one," Jedediah reminds, the " _You didn't lay one out for me, Octavius"_ goes unsaid as the cowboy does not want to get in trouble on his first night as a soldier under Octavius' command.

"Octavius, do you still have your medical supplies?" Marcus inquires with a smirk, teasing Jedediah as the men in both dioramas are used to teasing one another frequently. "Jedediah's going to need them," the second-in-command remarks, earning him a slight punch in the arm from the cowboy in question.

Octavius merely shrugs before addressing his men.

"Does anyone have an extra helmet? Please pass it up if you do," the esteemed general instructs, which results in Cassius passing up an extra helmet he forged a few nights ago when it was his turn to work the anvil for the week. "Thank you for your assistance, Cassius."

"I am happy to be of service, my liege," Cassius responds, his jet black hair poking out slightly from under the helmet he has on and his dark brown eyes glowing from the praise he received from his commanding officer.

"Try it on," Octavius tells Jedediah, passing the blonde the helmet and making sure that Jedediah actually puts the helmet on right.

Though it's a little big on Jedediah's head- Cassius had been taught to make all helmets on the larger side just in case the helmets were smashed against something or a soldier had a slightly larger than average sized head- the helmet is able to cover the most vulnerable parts of the cowboy's face, particularly his forehead and the sides of his cheeks.

"That will protect you and so will all of us," Octavius promises, standing straighter at this proclamation to give his Roman word of honor with a confidant stance to back it up. "Now, I've gone and forgotten my own rule and am not speaking Latin to you. _Animus attentus!"_ Octavius realizes before shouting out the command for listen closely.

Instantly all of the soldiers straighten their backs and prepare themselves for whatever first drill Octavius will put them through tonight.

 _"_ _Fomra duo finis!"_ is the next order that comes from the general's mouth.

No sooner than he utters these words does the whole army- Jedediah included- form two straight lines leading down the middle of the Roman diorama. Octavius can barely believe what he's seeing. Jedediah _actually_ seems to understand Latin. Though he could have just guessed… Octavius decides to put his observations to the test. He is planning on giving the soldiers an order that the Roman is sure Jedediah has never heard him use with his men.

 _"_ _Sin! Sin! Sin! Dex! Sin!"_ Octavius calls out in Latin, a phrase which is the equivalent to "Left! Left! Left! Right! Left!" in modern military drills.

Jedediah is able to keep up perfectly, not hesitating at all as he goes through the motions at the same pace as Octavius' trained soldiers.

" _Loquerisne Latine?"_ Octavius inquires if Jedediah speaks Latin, not believing his eyes once again.

" _Sane, paululum linguae Latinae dico,"_ Jedediah responds in Latin in a phrase that roughly translates into "Sure, I know a little Latin."

"That is amazing!" Octavius grins, reverting back to English at the shock of knowing that his best friend and honorary brother can both understand _and_ speak Latin, a skill Octavius never would have imagined Jedediah possessed. "How did you let such a thing avoid my knowledge for so long? Where did you learn to speak Latin?" the Roman continues in absolute exuberance, happy to know that Jedediah is capable of communicating with the other Romans in Latin.

"Although I never formally studied, I was taught Latin by one o' the doctors that lived in my hometown where I grew up. Dr. Titus Simons was his name, an' he taught me to read and write in both English and Latin. I even learned to speak in Latin, but Dr. Simons always told me I had too much of my Pa in me, so that I would never learn to speak English without my signature accent," Jedediah smiles, thinking how different he would be if that doctor had taught him how to speak English "properly".

"Well, then I must commend Dr. Simons on teaching you Latin. I have to admit, I thought Latin would become a dead language," Octavius beams, glad to know that Latin was still being taught in America- at least in 1811 when Jedediah was twelve.

"It pretty much is a dead language, Ockie," Jedediah remarks in a low voice where the Roman can't hear him.

"All right _! Silentiurn_!" Octavius calls out the command for silence before giving the men more orders. " _Moveo!"_ is the next order given, so everyone begins to march in a steady pace devised by General Gaius Octavius himself many years ago. _"Consiste!"_

The command for halt stops everyone in his tracks and they all keep their eyes trained on Octavius.

" _Gladium stringe!"_ Octavius calls for his army to pull out its swords while grabbing the one strapped to his own side and holding the blade high in the air.

The smooth metal shimmers like the brightest gem as Octavius holds the sword above his head to catch the army's attention.

 _"_ _Rompere le righe!"_ is the subsequent order, giving the soldiers permission to break out of rank formation and head for the practice battlefield. Jedediah remains rooted to the spot, not quite knowing where the other soldiers are going since all Octavius gave the command for was to drop out of formation. Noticing the look of confusion on Jedediah's face, Octavius steps off the "pedestal" before walking over to his best friend in the entire world. The Roman places a hand on the cowboy's shoulder, an action which makes Jedediah turn around to face the general.

"My friend, that is the command for the soldiers to begin sparring for the night," Octavius reveals in a tone one would generally associate with an adult speaking to a confused child.

"Oh! Well, all I got outta that Latin command is that you wanted the army to drop outta their ranks," Jedediah responds as he starts to move off towards an empty space amidst the now training army.

"My apologies, Jedediah," Octavius says in a sincere voice, realizing where the confusion came about with the Latin translation. "I did only give the command for the men to drop out of rank; you are correct. However, when we are training with swords instead of doing drill practices all night, the command is meant to mean _head to your battle practice,"_ Octavius explains gently, removing his hand from Jedediah's shoulder before motioning towards an empty training spot for himself and the cowboy to train on. "I offer my sincerest apologies at the confusion."

"Shucks, Ockie. It ain't nothin' to 'pologize for," Jedediah remarks, coming to a stop beside Octavius. "It was just a simple communication error, Toga Boy. I don't take no offence to not knowin'," the blonde continues, a statement which makes Octavius grin.

"Indeed. Maybe I was wrong about you, Jedediah."

"How do ya mean, Octavius?"

"Well, maybe you do have enough training and discipline to be a Roman soldier after all," Octavius answers back with the same grin on his lips.

"Wow! Was that almost a compliment?" Jedediah jokes, his blue eyes laughing as he smirks at his best friend's praise.

"Almost," Octavius teases before taking his jest one step further. "Don't go getting a big head," he cautions, mischief expressed in his dark brown eyes.

"Why not?" Jedediah goes along with the continuing joke.

"Your hat won't fit," Octavius states matter-of-factly.

Their resulting laughter carries throughout the Roman diorama, causing all the soldiers to stop mid-practice to stare at the duo of miniature leaders. Jedediah and Octavius couldn't care less.

"Carry on, men," Octavius says in his normal, commanding voice.

As soon as more noise fills the Roman diorama, Octavius and Jedediah start laughing hysterically once again.

Jedediah is seriously convinced he was never meant to learn how to swordfight.

Seriously.

He's having many doubts and reasons for thinking this is a bad idea.

And if Jedediah thinks something is a bad idea, then the whole world was probably coming to an end.

Octavius, on the other hand, still wants to try and teach Jedediah the art of sword-fighting, even if it takes him a year- by Jupiter he was going to teach Jedediah Smith how to fight properly with a sword. Unless the blonde cowboy throws a tantrum like he is now. Jedediah just thrashes around with the sword in his hand, haphazardly swinging the blade, barely missing the plume of Marcus' helmet in the process. Octavius sighs, lowering his own sword to look his friend in the eyes.

"If you keep swinging like that, you're going to break your wrist," Octavius instructs before demonstrating the correct way to swing the sword _once more_ to Jedediah.

The cowboy's already gotten about fifteen _once more_ instructions on how to hold and swing the sword. Octavius just wants to get Jedediah comfortable with holding and swinging the sword before moving on to actual combat. Was that too much to ask?

"Shut up. Don't tell me how to swing the sword," Jedediah snaps, angered at the fact that he has yet to learn how to even hold the sword properly.

When Jedediah does not understand how to do something right away, he usually always calls it quits; it was most likely a skill he didn't need to know anyway if he couldn't figure out how to do it. But, Jedediah doesn't want to throw in the towel quite yet, as Octavius had lasted through two whole nights of cowboy training and never really complained once. Jedediah knows he owes his honorary brother at least that much in return, but right now he doesn't feel so sure he can provide the same attitude towards Roman culture as Octavius had for Western techniques.

"Well, I have to. You're doing horribly right now," Octavius says with no attempt to sugarcoat the information; Jedediah needs to know his effort needs quite a bit of improvement.

"Don't care," Jedediah grumbles, getting frustrated at this whole sword-fighting mess he allowed Octavius to talk him into.

Watching all the other soldiers- even sixteen-year-old Maximus- sparring with one another perfectly was enough to make Jed's blood boil with jealousy.

"Defend!" Octavius calls out, swinging his own sword near Jedediah, only to have Jed thrash about wildly once more, barely deflecting Octavius' attack. "That wasn't defending," Octavius sighs, moving to lean against the stone wall at the edge of the Roman diorama.

"Naw, duh, Toga Boy!" Jedediah yells before throwing his borrowed sword down on the ground and stomping off towards the well that the Roman soldiers use for their water on a nightly basis.

The blonde then grabs a glass from the edge of the well before plunging it into the bucket of cold water and then downs the glass of water in less than thirty seconds. Jedediah then proceeds to get another glass of water and then throws it along the back of his neck in an attempt to cool down both his temper and his head.

"Jedediah, what is wrong with you? You are acting like a child," Octavius inquires out of pure shock and slight embarrassment about how his honorary brother is acting.

"I can't do it, Ockie! I must not be meant to learn how to swordfight. I've disappointed ya," Jedediah frowns, sitting down on the stone stair near the well.

Octavius is frankly confused by that look on the cowboy's face, wondering if Jedediah had ever been punished for not doing something right. Surely not. Surely Jedediah's father was not as cruel and demanding as Octavius' own father had been…..

"You haven't disappointed me, Jedediah," Octavius comforts, extending a hand down to his friend to help pull the cowboy to his feet. "Jedediah, you are my best friend and my brother; you could never disappoint me," he assures before squeezing Jedediah's shoulders in encouragement and understanding.

"Really?" comes Jedediah's soft question as he looks into Octavius' eyes to see nothing but understanding in the dark brown orbs.

"Would I lie to you?"

"Never in a million years."

"And even after those million years I would always keep my word."

"Thanks, Octavius."

No further words need to be said; both miniatures head off once more towards the sparring arena to continue Jedediah's training on how to be an honorary Roman. Nearly the exact instant they reach the mock battlefield once more- all the other soldiers have dispersed at this time to give Octavius more instruction room while also stopping to attend to their other duties such as forging new weapons, helmets, etc.- Octavius brandishes his sword in front of him and holds it near Jedediah's chest.

"What are ya doin', Ockie? Have ya gone off the deep end?" Jedediah all but demands, feeling the cool metal gently pressing on his plate of chest armor.

Jedediah knows that if he had still been wearing his cowboy clothes that he would have been able to feel the cold kiss of the blade on his chest and probably fear the worst. However, Jed finds some comfort in that he is protected by the thick suit of armor- even if he calls the armor ridiculous behind Octavius' back on most occasions.

"Pick up your sword," Octavius commands, not wanting to play around anymore.

There are only about five hours until sunrise and Octavius knows it will take a good three hours to teach Jedediah how to swordfight, another two for chariot racing, and then a thirty-minute practice swordfight exercise to end out their night and see how much knowledge Jedediah retains. Then Jedediah would have thirty minutes to dress back in his cowboy attire, reclaim his hat from Octavius, and then finally check on his own diorama before getting into his normal position near the front of the railroad for when day breaks.

Jedediah bends down to pick up the sword, not without feeling a bit top-heavy as the metal suit of armor still is not agreeing with the blonde cowboy. Once he gets the sword in hand, Jed begins to point the sword at Octavius, which makes the general crack the smallest of smiles. At least Jedediah has calmed down enough now that he can at least hold the sword appropriately. As is customary in most sword fights, Octavius slides his blade over Jedediah's, a sign which is meant to warn the cowboy to be on his guard and prepared to fight. Octavius now backs up and slashes out at Jedediah, making Jed pull back out of pure instinct. Octavius' blade hits its mark, clanging loudly against Jedediah's borrowed sword, a sudden movement which leads to Jedediah attempting to block the attack by his Roman friend and- at this point in time- teacher.

"You must learn to parry or girata when I cross blades with you, my friend, or else you will be leaving yourself open to a Coup de Jarnac or a Coup de Main," Octavius explains, a grim smile on his face, one that Ahkmenrah would appreciate with his own dark sense of humor.

"I literally didn't understand one word of that," Jedediah remarks with no shame in his voice, as he truly did not understand not a word of the sword-fighting terminology Octavius just uttered.

"Huh," Octavius sighs, not believing that he has to slow down and explain himself further. "To parry would be when you block my attacks on you. Girata is to step out of line of my attack by placing your left foot behind your right one or stepping your right foot to the right," Octavius starts to explain, receiving a few nods here and there from Jedediah in understanding. "A Coup de Jarnac would be when you leave yourself open in combat and your opponent would deliver a deadly and often permanently crippling blow to either your hamstring or your knee," he tries to bring up the topic before Jedediah cuts him off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What happened to Romans fighting with honor and all that kind o' jazz?" Jedediah asks in an amused voice.

"When in the heat of battle, one may not always abide to honor while trying to stay alive," Octavius replies in an even tone, doing his best not to get mad at his best friend. "You'll especially like this one then, Jedediah. A Coup de Main would be if a person was able to kill you with just one swipe of his or her sword," the Roman says in an oddly excited and interested tone.

"You're kinda takin' a turn towards Ahkmenrah's sense of humor and interests, kemosabe," Jedediah laughs, which makes Octavius crack a grin as well.

"Well, I can just say that I have seen those acts of horror in battle myself. I do not wish for any of those unspeakable acts to happen to you, Jedediah; you are my brother and it would pain me to see you injured," Octavius reveals, sincerity in his voice.

"I appreciate that, Ockie. Now, let's keep goin' with this swordfight lesson! I'm ready to learn!" Jedediah announces, holding his sword out and getting into his fighting position.

Octavius beams at his enthusiasm, glad to see Jedediah taking such in interest in learning. Though that may have to do with the fact that it is learning how to fight…..

"En garde!" Octavius shouts before flinging himself into action.

The Roman general clashes his sword against the one Jedediah is holding, resulting in a harsh clang to echo throughout the diorama. Jedediah moves his feet backwards, staggering a little bit as he tries to stay upright.

"You know what you're doing; I'll give you that," Jedediah remarks, trying his hardest to counter Octavius' attacks.

"Come on, Jedediah. Concentrate," Octavius commands before spinning around, slamming his sword into Jedediah's borrowed sword before attempting to kick the cowboy's feet out from under him. "Focus on your steps," he instructs, making his sweep towards Jedediah's heels only to have the cowboy jump over the obstacle.

"I need more help on what to do with my feet, Ockie," Jedediah admits, a statement which finally explains to Octavius what Jedediah needs the most help with.

For the next hour or two, Octavius works with Jedediah on the blonde's footwork, helping the cowboy in his continuing transition into a Roman soldier.

After about two hours, Jedediah thinks he has improved his skills at hand-to-hand combat. (Well, sword to sword if you want to be completely accurate.)

"I think my footwork's improved mighty well, Octavius," Jedediah announces, thrusting his sword towards Octavius' chest armor while wiping his blond hair off his sweat-covered brow with the other hand.

"I'll be the judge of that," Octavius smirks, prepared to put Jedediah's skills to the test. "If I step here," the general trails off, stepping off to the left, making Jedediah turn to the right in order to establish an across the way reach in case the general tries to attack him again. "Very good," Octavius praises, happy- no, ecstatic- to see his best friend's progress coming along so well. "And now I step again," Octavius remarks as he leaps into action, which leads Jedediah into a string of prepared and well-coordinated attacks, making Octavius smile at the blonde's progress and determination.

"Take that, Toga Boy!" Jedediah all but yells, sliding on the ground before swiping the sword from Octavius' hands, making the brown-haired man gasp in shock and look at Jedediah with a truly perplexed look on his face.

"Well done, my friend! I must say, you are the first man to ever do that and live to tell the tale," Octavius praises, retrieving his sword from the ground.

"Well, like I always say. Teach Ol' Jedediah how to do somethin' once, an' he'll never forget," Jedediah grins as he tries to get off of the ground.

"I am pleased to hear you shall remember your skills I have taught you this evening. However, we are far from through this evening," Octavius begins to ramble on only to have Jedediah interrupt him.

"Uh, partner? Can I have some help here?" Jedediah inquires in a strange tone, a voice that makes Octavius look down at him while rolling his dark brown eyes in amusement. "I'm kinda stuck down here," Jedediah admits, trying his best to get off up the ground but looking like a ridiculously adorable turtle trying to get off of its back.

The cowboy is still not used to his army, so when he fell down to the ground, he forgot to account for how heavy the suit of armor is. So, now he is lying on his back helplessly trying to get up from the ground with an amused Roman standing over him. Laughing. Of all the mean things his best friend and brother could do, Octavius is laughing!

"Boy, what is so funny?" Jedediah demands, still trying to get up since it is obvious Octavius is going to be no help.

"You look like a small turtle trying to right itself from the ground," Octavius continues to laugh, having to pause a brief moment to wipe tears from his chocolate brown eyes.

"That's not funny, Octavius! Now you let me up from the ground or I'll tell everyone in your precious army about that time ya cried like a baby when we was watchin' _The Lion King_ with Hannah, Ahkmenrah, Teddy, Sacagawea, Attila, and Nicky," Jedediah threatens.

"You wouldn't," Octavius challenges, a cold look on his face and in his eyes.

"Oh just try me, Toga Boy," Jedediah dares, his blue eyes looking like pale ice as he makes the threat to spill the Roman's secret.

"It was a very emotional movie! I don't see how no one else cried at Mufasa's death and the ultimate doom of the Pride Lands! I do not think I will ever be over such a tragedy!" Octavius cries out, thinking back to their movie night a few weeks ago- before Larry had left the museum for Daley Devices, anyway.

"Ockie, Hannah watched the movie when she little more than two years old! She's fine; yeah, she still can't help but hold a grudge 'gainst Scar for killin' the King, but she still loves the movie enough to keep watchin' it," Jedediah remarks before remembering that he is mad at the general for calling him a small turtle. "Now, I swear that if ya do not help me up off o' this ground, every soldier in this diorama will know that ya cried like a baby when watchin' a Disney cartoon," Jed threatens, not backing down from his previous statement.

Octavius quickly helps Jedediah up, not wanting his secret to spread from Jedediah and the others present for movie night to everyone else in the museum.

"You better help that no one else finds out about that, Jedediah, my friend. Because if they do…" Octavius trails off, not feeling as if he needs to finish his statement.

"Gotcha. I probably wouldn't a told anyway, Octavius," Jedediah admits with a smirk, just glad to be off the ground. "Now, how do ya manage to not get caught off balance with all this armor and still manage to swordfight properly. Ya must practice with 'em for a extended amount of time," the cowboy muses, not thinking of any other way how the

"I do. However, I do have experience from my previous life when we were not inside the museum," Octavius points out. "I practice with them three hours a night in the museum!" the general smiles, proud of his own skill set and ability to train for so long without tiring.

"You need a new hobby, partner," Jedediah smirks, his blue eyes shining as he smacks Octavius playfully on the arm.

"Why? Is endangering my life when I'm around you and your schemes not enough of a new hobby for me?" Octavius jokes before running off towards the stables with Jedediah hot on his heels.

"OCTAVIUS!" Jedediah roars, a smile on his face as he takes off after his best friend, brother, and partner in crime.

Their run through the Roman diorama results in many of the Roman soldiers under Octavius' command to either laugh or run after the pair- or both- knowing that Jedediah and Octavius are up to their general mischief and overall fun. Who knows what the rest of the night will bring…..

Octavius comes rushing out of the stables as Jedediah enters the stables, having to cling to the wall in order not to be ground into a pulp by the Roman general. With the determination of, well, a general in battle, Octavius storms out of the stables atop his famous chariot with Spirit in the middle of all the action. Three other horses surround Octavius' buckskin stallion, pulling the chariot as fast as their legs can carry them through the Roman diorama. Octavius hits the reins against the horses' flanks in an attempt to get them to go faster; all four horses respond instantly and in sync, surging forwards and dragging the chariot behind them. Once he is around the bend of the diorama, the general brings the chariot to a full turn around his own house, turning with the chariot only having two wheels on the ground. Jedediah makes an impressed "Wow!" as Octavius continues to ride around the Roman diorama, leading the horses in their routine and traditional chariot route. It certainly impresses Jedediah how reckless and adventurous Octavius seems to be at this moment, riding at almost sonic speed around the diorama, kicking up dust and spreading a cloud of dirt around the air in the Hall of Miniatures.

Octavius slides the chariot to a stop right in front of Jedediah, Marcus, and the other Roman soldiers in the diorama before climbing up to stand on the highest point of the chariot

"Applause, please!" Octavius says, tossing his head backwards in the air, feeling the wind from the air vent flowing around him and cooling him down from his intense journey around his home land and daytime exhibit.

Everyone begins to clap per Octavius wishes, though they all would have started to clap regardless of if Octavius had asked them to or not. The uproar is almost deafening and Octavius revels in the praise, puffing out his chest while holding his head and chin up high like he was taught to do as a mere lad by his mother and father. After a while, Octavius climbs down from the top of the chariot, moving over to high five Jedediah before beginning to stroke Spirit's face and praise the buckskin for his amazing leadership skills at keeping the other horses focused and in line during their practice.

"Wow, Octavius! That was impressive!" Jedediah excitedly remarks, resting a hand on Octavius' shoulder while stroking the horse closest to him- a solid white mare- with his other hand.

"Thank you, Jedediah, my friend. Now, I believe that it is your turn to learn the chariot racing ways," Octavius smiles, wanting to teach his brother yet another new skill since Jedediah taught him roughly three between their two nights in the Western diorama.

"All righty. But, Ockie, didn't I already learn how ta ride a chariot when we raced in the hallway with Teddy, Sacagawea, Ahkmenrah, an' Hannah? Ya know, that night where Ahkmenrah slammed them horses inta Gigantor's chest?" Jedediah inquires with a smile thinking of how mad Larry was while also being pretty sure that counts as chariot racing.

"In a sense, yes. However, real chariot racing is when you have four horses like we do now and race against those that also have four horses. You are supposed to race in an arena- it would be impressive if we could get you to race in the Colosseum, but we'll have to work you up to that level- as per the Roman tradition," Octavius happily explains, feeding Spirit a sugar cube before moving to the white mare that Jedediah is petting the muzzle of.

"What's her name?" Jedediah asks, pressing a light kiss to the mare's face, thinking that she is a whole lot nicer than Spirit; the mare has yet to bite him or attempt to attack him like Spirit did two nights ago.

"Her name is Luna; she is Octavia's mare that she received as a present from my mother on Octavia's fifteenth birthday," Octavius explains, brushing the mare's nose with his fingers. "I do not know how she arrived at the museum with me, but I am rather glad to have a living memory of my eldest daughter with me every night," Octavius grins, pressing a kiss to Luna's face and then feeding her a sugar cube as well. "Now, it is time for you to go around the chariot to let the other horses know that you are to be the charioteer tonight, Jedediah," the general instructs, pulling away from Luna and walking behind Jedediah.

Octavius had never expected what would happen next.

"Your horse bit me in the butt!" Jedediah yells, pain evident in his tone of voice as he wheels around to face the Roman.

True to his word, Spirit has bit Jedediah's rear end and is now laughing in the way only horses can, throwing his golden head in the air and letting out a high-pitched whinny to express his happiness. Octavius can't help but chuckle along, not knowing why Spirit seems to hold such a grudge against Jedediah. Maybe it's because Spirit knows that Jedediah would never be truly in command of him; that position is reserved for only Gaius Octavius and the stallion is quite aware of this fact.

"Just laugh it up…" Jedediah mumbles under his breath to either Spirit or Octavius, of that neither the Roman nor the buckskin stallion is aware of.

Octavius helps to boost Jedediah into the chariot since the cowboy still is not used to wearing the heavy armor Octavius has him wearing to get the whole Roman experience.

"First to finish; last to die," Octavius remarks as Jedediah settles into his position with the reins gripped tightly in his hands, not wanting Spirit to get any ideas and fling him out and onto the unforgiving concrete ground.

"Real encouraging, Octavius. Now, what in the heck does that even mean?" Jedediah questions, not wanting to start riding in the chariot without knowing every detail the Roman has to offer.

"Chariot racing is a blood sport. There will be fewer chariots as the race continues," Octavius starts to explain, giving Jedediah information on chariot races, not just riding in the chariot to put the horses through their paces and training for the night. "You must stay in the back as the race begins. Let the other riders vie for position," the general cautions, knowing just how deadly chariot races can get for riders who attempt to dominate the lead early on. "You'll have more of a chance to survive that way," he finishes with a small smile on his face, hoping that he looks encouraging.

"You really are a ball o' sunshine, aren't ya?" Jedediah sarcastically remarks before Octavius gives the horses and blonde cowboy the okay to take off through the Roman diorama.

Jedediah takes instantly to chariot racing, sending the horses into a quick gallop and gaining speed with every stride. He turns the chariot and the horses with the skill a veteran Roman equestrian would be expected to have, earning him gasps and roars of approval from all the soldiers- including Octavius- who are watching his first time behind an actual, authentic Roman chariot.

"That's pretty amazing chariot work!" Octavius calls over the noise of the horses' hooves and the encouraging shouts coming from his own men

"For a cowboy…." Marcus jokes with a smirk, earning him a light elbow in the ribs from Octavius.

"Oh—what?" "What is he doing?" Maximus asks in confusion, seeing Jedediah tip the chariot to where it is now only on two wheels but continues to blaze through the Romans' diorama.

Jedediah wasn't about to let Octavius outdo him, especially not when racing on two rules is quite the risky and adventurous move. That is _his_ style, _not Octavius'._ And Jedediah Smith is going to prove that fact tonight.

"Now, _that's_ first class! Bravo!" Octavius claps, his voice ringing over everyone else's cheers and Jedediah's own rather loud whooping and hollering.

"Can you dig it?" Jedediah yells, pulling the chariot and horses to a stop near Octavius and the other soldiers. "How are we doin' so far?" he asks in a hopeful voice, wanting to be praised by the man he regards as his older brother.

"Splendid, my friend! Absolutely splendid!" Octavius smiles, helping Jedediah down from the chariot before leading the horses closer to the stables and the Colosseum. "Now you must prove your skill in the arena in a chariot race. Though, to make it fair on you, I shall not participate to give you more of a chance," Octavius smirks, making Jedediah fall for the bait.

"What?! I'm just learnin' how to ride a chariot an' now ya expect me to beat _trained_ Romans in their own sport?! No, sir! I ain't gonna make a fool out o' myself. Nope!" Jedediah argues, turning on his heel and beginning to walk towards the tunnel leading back into the Western diorama.

"I was merely kidding, my friend."

"Ya better be glad ya were, Gaius Octavius! I was not about ta lose 'cause o' your stubbornness. I don't care if you're my brother and a Roman general; I woulda defied that order and not come back til ya got some sense in that head of yours!"

Both men laugh at this and Octavius hands the horses over to Maximus and Felix for the young men to go and put his horses away in the stables where they belong during the day.

"You still must go through one more challenge to prove you deserve to be a member of the Roman army," Octavius says before leading Jedediah towards the temporary battlefield.

The general has no doubt that Jedediah will pass the final test with flying colors.

"Commander Cato! Lieutenant Armenius! General Marcus!" Octavius shouts out once he and Jedediah reach the practice battlefield. "Step forward!"

"That's what I love about Rome! Everyone's job description sounds so cool!" Jedediah smiles, liking all of those titles he heard and how they fit well with each man's name. "Maybe I could be General Jedediah someday…."

"Don't put the cart before the horse, my friend," the general merely smirks before explaining to his men and Jedediah what the final task is.

"So, you an' I are up against them? Aren't they some o' your best soldiers?" Jedediah inquires, swallowing the small lump that forms in his throat.

"Yes, they are. I trained each of them in the art of battle."

"Comforting."

"Hey, Jedediah, do not forget something. I trained you as well," Octavius reminds, a statement which brings a small smile to Jedediah's face.

"Any advice for me, partner?" Jedediah inquires, his blue eyes filled with confidence and a determination.

"Keep your eyes open. Don't get killed," Octavius "helpfully" supplies.

"Gee, thanks. Is this the advice you give to all of your soldiers?" Jedediah jokes, grabbing his sword from its sheath before taking his position at Octavius' side.

"Most of the time," Octavius smiles in return, getting into his fighting stance and waiting for his men to pop out of their hiding place.

All three of Octavius' men pop out of the shadows near Jedediah, almost giving the blonde cowboy a heart attack in the process.

"Whoa!" Jedediah gasps, nearly falling down in the process.

"I'm coming, Jedediah; I'm coming!" Octavius calls out in reassurance as Jedediah looks like he is nearly going to topple down without even getting an attack in. "Watch out!" he yells when Marcus swipes near Jedediah's head, taking off quite a bit of the red plume sticking off the top of the helmet.

"Whoa! That's a sword! That's a sword!" Jedediah shouts, ducking out of the way before rolling and standing back up on his feet once more. "You guys take training _way_ too seriously," he says, breathing harshly as the roll took a lot of his breath away.

"Go!" Octavius commands once Jedediah is completely surrounded.

Jedediah kicks out with one of his sandaled feet- Octavius had even made him wear sandals for the occasion- connecting with Armenius' chest, an action which sends the young man down to the ground clutching at his chest. Next, Jedediah swings his sword and it clashes against Cato's sword with a harsh clang. Pretty soon, Jedediah is able to disarm Cato, much to the young commander's surprise. Marcus flings himself at Jedediah, managing to thoroughly surprise the cowboy. However, learning from his earlier training with Octavius, Jedediah is able to sweep Marcus' feet out from under the general, resulting in Marcus landing on the ground without his weapon in his hand.

"Wow! How did I just do that?!" Jedediah inquires in both shock and pride.

"Your training has come along well, it would seem," Octavius responds, giving Jedediah a congratulatory hug and Roman salute.

"Did I just do that?" Jedediah questions again out of pure shock.

"Yes. That was really good," Octavius praises before reaching into his sheath and procuring an item. "This is for you," he announces, handing an object to Jedediah.

"Is this?" Jedediah inquires, a smile on his face.

"It is," Octavius grins back now that Jedediah has realized what he has been given. "Do you notice anything on the blade?" the general continues.

"Wow! It has my initials on it!" Jedediah breathes, noticing that J.S. is engraved near the hilt. "Hey, it matches your sword!" the cowboy beams, happy to have a matching one to his brother.

"Indeed. It is customary for a family to have the same weapon and family crest on their weapons. Welcome to the Roman army and my family, Jedediah Smith," Octavius answers with that same smile plastered on his face, pride for his younger brother apparent.

"This is amazing! The Roman army?! Really? You're not just pullin' my leg are ya?" Jedediah fires off as many questions as he can think of in the span of a minute.

"No, my friend, I am not," Octavius assures. "You are lucky enough to be a part of it! Now you are an officer in my army and can receive a title through promotion just like all of the rest of my men."

"That's great! What about you say we celebrate tomorrow night in the Western diorama?"

"I think that sounds great, Jedediah."

"Now, about my hat….."

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask about that….."

"OCTAVIUS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HAT?"

"I don't have to tell you," Octavius smirks before running away.

It was good to be general at a time like this.

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 12! I have to be brief in this author's note, because I'm about to go to sleep. I should be in bed already because I'm really tired, but my fingers wouldn't stop typing! Sorry for the wait, but school has been crazy busy lately! I hope everyone enjoyed this, and be sure to leave your reviews on what you thought. I appreciate each and every one of them. Well, that's all for now. Until Chapter 13, my dear readers!**


	13. Double Dog Dare Ya!

**Chapter 13**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OCs! The rest belong to Shawn Levy! Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to the amazing Steve Coogan who celebrated his birthday on October 14th! Happy birthday, Steve Coogan; I hope you enjoyed your special day!**

As per Jedediah's request last night, Octavius and Jedediah are planning on celebrating for at least the next two or three nights. The two miniature leaders are going to praise the fact that they were able to teach one another skills that the other never had a chance to learn during their lives before and outside of the museum. Octavius wore full cowboy clothing while learning how to ride a horse, shoot Jedediah's famous guns, and also helped sort cattle with the other cowboys of the diorama. In addition, Jedediah learned how to follow Octavius' instructions down to a T in soldier formation- it had been quite a surprise to Octavius that Jedediah had spoken Latin in his previous life- before also learning how to fight with a sword and ride a chariot properly. While it may seem like a small feat to some of the Roman soldiers or cowboys who have trained since a very young age to partake in either culture, Jedediah and Octavius made serious leaps and bounds into become more diverse in their skill sets as well as getting used to other types of clothing. After all, Octavius had never worn something as light as cowboy clothes before while Jedediah had never worn something as dense and heavy as a full suit of Roman armor before, either. As for Jedediah's hat, well, that still has yet to be found by the blonde-haired, blue-eyed cowboy. And that makes for a very irritated Jedediah Smith…

"OCTAVIUS!" Jedediah yells in annoyance as he _continues_ to search for _his_ hat.

Octavius peeks his head around the divide between the Western and Roman dioramas, a knowing smile on his face.

"Yes, my friend? Whatever is the matter?" the general continues with that same smirk plastered over his face.

If he wasn't Jedediah's best friend and honorary brother, the blonde cowboy seriously would think about smacking Octavius in his arrogant smiling face.

"My hat is still missin', Toga Boy! I had to wear one o' Casey's old hats that he only uses when he's shoveling up soiled hay in the horses' stalls! I bet close to twenty people noticed today while we were out for the count," Jedediah complains, ripping off Casey's faded black hat that does not look much different from Jedediah's own hat.

"Jedediah, the hat does not even look that different from your own. I doubt anyone in the museum's line of guests realized you were wearing a different one during business hours," Octavius says in an attempt to calm down the blonde cowboy since it is too early in the night for such loud yelling. "All you have to do is look for your hat and it will be easier to find than Rexy and his rib bone," the general announces, walking away from Jedediah in order to make the cowboy start looking for the black Stetson on his own.

"Weird analogy ya chose there, partner," Jedediah mumbles, starting to look high and low for his favorite and irreplaceable hat that has served as a part of his identity for so many years.

"What would you prefer me to say? It will be easier to find than Teddy and Sacagawea on their nightly excursions?" Octavius groans, not sure why Jedediah acts like his analogies are superior to the Roman's; most of the time Octavius doesn't even understand what Jed is _trying_ to reference. (Key word being trying.)

"That sounds better. Ya know good and well ol' Teddy Boy could never be found without Sacagawea," Jedediah laughs as he heads around the Roman diorama as he _still_ tries to find his precious hat.

"Yes, well…. Back to the matter of your hat," Octavius changes the subject, not wanting Sacagawea or Teddy to overhear the conversation if they happen to ride by on Texas. "If you can complete one last phase of Roman training that I forgot to mention last night, then you may receive clues on how to retrieve your hat," the general concludes, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Fine! What do I need to do?" Jedediah sighs in defeat, not sure what crazy thing the Roman would have him do tonight.

After all, Jedediah is still quite a bit sore and tired from last night's training to become a Roman soldier. The heavy armor and new sword techniques wore the blonde cowboy out; he was not used to having to wear clothes as heavy as the full suit of armor and also had no clue how to fight with a sword properly.

"Follow me," Octavius simply commands before walking away towards a part of the diorama Jedediah is not quite sure if he has ever seen it before.

They end up walking for a little bit and then stopping around the back side of the version of the Colosseum and Octavius then pulls to a stop and turns to face Jedediah.

The blonde takes one look at what is in front of him before announcing his displeasure for the activity Octavius has picked out.

"Heck no! I will not be reduced down to this, Ockie!" Jedediah complains, his blue eyes blazing with displeasure and annoyance at the Roman's choice of activity.

"Whatever do you mean, my friend?" Octavius questions in a genuinely confused tone, not quite sure why Jedediah is taking such offence to being asked to do this task.

"Hopscotch is for girls, Octavius! I'm not gonna skip around on some squares just ta get my hat back! You can just up and tell me where my hat is or don't expect me ta come be with your army ever again!" Jedediah whines, lacing his disapproval with a slight threat that he will leave.

"It is _not_ for girls, Jedediah! Hopscotch as you call it is how I trained my men for battle!" Octavius defends his choice for picking the "girly" activity as Jedediah calls it. "It promotes mobility and swiftness as you have to focus on hopping on one foot."

"It's a game for little girls to play at recess!"

"No, it is a very efficient way to train for battle!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Show me, then," Jedediah challenges, putting his hands on his hips in his signature pose.

"Show you?" Octavius inquires, one eyebrow raised as if to question why Jedediah is sounding so much like a child daring his friend to do something crazy. "Fine. Watch and learn, Jedediah, my friend," Octavius smiles before leaping into action.

The Roman general refuses to throw a stone or other trinket- like the girls at recess as Jedediah phrases it- since he knows the whole grid must be crossed to prove his point to the cowboy. Octavius hops on one foot down the grid of hopscotch blocks and proves how the game can be used to promote swiftness of foot as he does not once come close to toppling over. Even with the heavy weight of his Roman armor, Octavius continues hopping on one foot, not being deterred by what Jedediah thought was a disadvantage last night. When he reaches the end of the hopscotch grid, Octavius turns back around to face Jedediah and has a victorious smirk on his face.

"What was that about hopscotch being for little girls, Jedediah?" Octavius sasses, putting his own hands on his hips as he looks at the blonde cowboy with a look of triumph plastered on the general's face.

"Fine! It's not for little girls!" Jedediah concedes, rubbing his blue eyes as he realizes he will have to participate in what he had deemed girly in order to get his precious Stetson back. "I'll do it! I won't like it, but I'll do it to get my hat back," the blonde sighs before taking his position at the start of the hopscotch grid.

"That's the spirit, Jedediah. It is not as bad as you may think."

"I swear to ya, though, if one word of this gets to anyone else in the museum, I will personally come and tell all of your men about how you jumped and screamed so hard during _Jaws!"_

Octavius visibly pales at this before he nods his head to concede to Jedediah's request. Jedediah smiles at this visual, knowing that his secret would stay safe with Octavius since the Roman would never want anyone else to know about how squeamish he was during _Jaws._ The blonde cowboy hops on one foot most of the way, feeling stupid in his own mind as Octavius shoots him a thumbs up and a toothy grin. Jedediah mumbles something about "Stupid Roman traditions" under his breath as he tries to not make a complete and utter fool out of himself while having to play hopscotch in order to get his prized Stetson back.

Octavius deems Jedediah has completed his task appropriately and gives him the first clue on where to find his Stetson.

"You will find your hat in a spot of the Roman diorama where you have never been before," Octavius grins, knowing very well that the location will surprise Jedediah.

"Seriously?! There's dozens o' places I never been before!" Jedediah sighs, tapping his boots on the ground impatiently.

Jedediah hasn't been inside Octavius' soldiers' quarters, the Colosseum, or the bath houses that Octavius is extremely proud of for some weird reason…

"I'll give you a hint. It is where I wanted to take you last night to perform your chariot racing," Octavius helpfully supplies, a statement that makes Jedediah run in a mad dash towards the Colosseum.

"Ya better not have gotten it scratched, Ockie!" Jedediah calls over his shoulder as he runs into the pride and joy of the Roman diorama.

"I don't think your hat's guardian would have scratched it," Octavius laughs, hiding his smile behind his hand where Jedediah will not know he is just seconds away from hysterically laughing at the cowboy's possessive nature over his hat.

"Its guardian?! Why, you-!" Jedediah shouts before skidding to a stop in the middle of the Colosseum to see his hat sitting on top of something orange and black.

To say Jedediah is surprised is a bit of an understatement. He didn't expect to have an _animal "_ guarding" his hat.

"Jedediah, my friend, you look like you've seen a ghost or an unexpected joy," Octavius grins, walking up behind Jedediah before crouching down in front of the animal that happily runs over to Octavius with Jedediah's hat drooping over her eyes.

"Well, yeah! When in the heck did ya get a tiger, Octavius?" Jedediah asks in shock, bending down and plucking his hat off of the tiger cub's head, making her mewl slightly in shock.

"We have always had dear Jasmine here," Octavius announces, collecting the rambunctious tiger cub in his arms before kissing the top of her head.

The tiger cub purrs before nuzzling her head against Octavius' neck and face, making the Roman general laugh at her levels of affection.

"Jasmine, you are supposed to be a fearsome beast, and yet, you act like a common housecat," Octavius laughs, not being able to contain his laugh as Jasmine decides it is a good idea to try and climb up his back.

Jasmine simply lets out a small roar before climbing up Octavius' back and then stopping on the general's shoulders to look at Jedediah with her vibrant green eyes.

"She sure is a cutie," Jedediah smiles, clicking his tongue against his cheek before reaching out a hand to pet the tiger cub with his hand.

Jasmine purrs before melting into Jedediah's hand- figuratively, of course- and she can't help but run her whiskers along Jed's hands and face.

"I'm just glad ya didn't scratch my hat," the cowboy continues before helping detach the rather rambunctious tiger from Octavius' back where the Roman general can finally get off of the ground. "Octavius would have paid terribly for that," Jedediah jokes, kissing Jasmine's head before placing the tiger cub back within her enclosure in the Colosseum.

With that, the two men walk out of the Colosseum before rounding up some of the other Roman soldiers to go over to the Western diorama and celebrate Octavius and Jedediah learning about each other's culture.

As they ride on their horses over to the Western diorama, Jedediah decides to give the Romans who have never been over to the West a bit of advice.

"Now, if people start lookin' at ya funny, all ya gotta say is howdy, partner," Jedediah instructs, stopping Lightning at the end of the tunnel connecting Rome and the Wild West before sliding off of Lightning's saddle.

"Howdy partner?" Octavius slowly asks for all of them, a confused look on his face as well as on the faces of all his soldiers.

"Faster than that or people are gonna think you're slow in the head," Jedediah grins, shoving Octavius playfully on the back once the Roman general dismounts off the back of his horse as well.

The group of Octavius, Jedediah, and the other Roman soldiers- including Marcus, Maximus, Cato, and Cassius to name a few- head into the Western town and are greeted by quite a few of Jedediah's people.

"Well, lookee here, boys!" Casey shouts with a grin on his face. "Octavius and his men have come over just in time for our hoedown!" the blonde-haired, green-eyed cowboy comes over and grabs Octavius' elbow before shaking the Roman's hand in the traditional Roman way. "How are ya, Octavius?"

"I'm just fine, Casey. It indeed seems like we have come just in time for your yearly party," Octavius says while tossing a glance over at Jedediah.

"I honestly forgot the hoedown was tonight," Jedediah sheepishly says, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"Uh-huh," Octavius says, not amused by the whole situation. "Well, what does one usually do at these kinds of parties?" the general inquires, bowing when Sadie passes by him and grabs Casey's hands in her own.

"Glad ya asked, partner," Jed grins as the music begins to pick up in the Western diorama from where Wyatt, Roy, Shane, and Bruce are playing their instruments.

"It's time to dance!" Sadie calls out, dragging Casey into the middle of the town square before beginning to dance with him.

"I don't even know how to dance like this!" Octavius shouts over the music that picks up in tempo as the dance begins.

"Dance with my sister Katy," Casey announces, his green eyes gesturing over at a young black-haired girl with the same piercing green eyes as her older brother. "She'd be glad to show ya the ropes, Octavius!" the cowboy says before getting back to dancing with Sadie.

Octavius is going to have to have a serious word with Jedediah about this impromptu dancing lesson. Maybe he would let the tiger get to him…..

Everyone in the Western diorama starts to clap his or her hands as Wyatt plays his banjo along with Shane's and Roy's guitars. Katy drags Octavius over into the middle of the crowd, much to the general's displeasure and concern. Katy is around twenty years old, and she doesn't mind dancing with Octavius one bit since she has yet to find someone to court her. Plus, the Roman general has been nothing but nice to her since the two of them first met, so Katy believes she owes Octavius at least that much.

 _"_ _When the drum hits, hands on your hips!"_ Shane sings over the noise of his guitar, causing all the dancers to put their hands on their hips to appease the musicians.

"This song sounds a lot like that song we caught Larry listening to when he first started working here," Octavius remarks, thinking of the ex-night guard dancing in the security office.

"Yeah!" Jedediah shouts over the music and the whoops of all the people around him. "Except that Miley Cyrus girl didn't do the song as much justice as Shane an' the boys are doin'!"

"Why are none of the women of your diorama singing or playing instruments?" Octavius asks, not quite sure why Jedediah's men would be being sexist towards women musicians.

"Oh, that! They have the chance to play music, but most o' our girls like ta dance to show off their skills," Jedediah laughs as he spins around one of the younger girls in his diorama.

And by younger, I mean a girl of six years old that thinks Jedediah is even more handsome than her own father. The six-year-old brown-haired blue-eyed girl is practically bouncing with enthusiasm and happiness as the leader of the cowboys spins her around the diorama. Octavius continues to struggle a bit with the dance, but Katy is a good teacher and the formal Roman eventually understands how to dance in time to the country music being played by some of Jedediah's best men.

" _Put your hawk in the sky, move side to side! Jump to the left, stick it, glide!"_ Shane sings, and Octavius is able to follow along exactly with all of the songs from that moment on.

Just when Octavius is starting to get the basics of this new style of dancing, Jedediah and Casey pull him off to the side to talk to the Roman.

"I'm tellin' ya, Casey, Ockie here can't do none o' that," Jedediah teases with a smirk on his lips.

"Well, I don't know, Jed. He _may_ could with the proper instruction," Casey disagrees, turning to face the Roman as he speaks.

"I may could do what?" Octavius inquires, not wanting to be left out of whatever secret or rumor Jedediah is spreading about him.

When he doesn't receive an answer, Octavius tries to ask again.

"What are you not telling me, Jedediah?" he asks, straightening his helmet while he follows behind the two blonde-haired cowboys.

"We were wagerin' that ya couldn't ride across the diorama and do jumps half as good as any o' us can, partner," Jedediah answers, his blue eyes shining in mischief.

"I say ya can, but Ol' Jed here is bein' a stubborn mule like always and insists that ya can't," Casey brings up, taking Octavius' side, much to the general's shock.

He figured if anyone in the West would believe in him it would be Jedediah….

"He's a stiff ol' Roman, Casey! He ain't been doin' jumps on the horse as much or as long as we have!" Shane wickedly grins, trying to goad Octavius into accepting the challenge.

"I'll bet he didn't learn nothin' from Jed," Wallace brings up, moseying into the main square looking like he doesn't have a care in the world.

In all actuality, Wallace appears to have had too much to drink throughout the course of the hoedown's dancing portion.

"Can it, Wallace, 'fore ya become real accustomed to my knuckles bein' smashed against your ugly face!" Jedediah threatens, a cold look giving his eyes the look of hardened blue steel.

"You can't protect that no-good, deceptive Roman forever…." Wallace mumbles under his breath as he walks away with a dark, evil expression on his face.

"I don't think he'd be that bad, actually," Sadie admits, swinging herself up onto her horse's saddle.

"Yeah. Octavius seemed to learn a bunch when Uncle Jedediah taught 'im the ropes," Roy agrees with the young woman as he comes up riding on his horse as well.

"I don't think he'd be able to clear much of anythin'," Wyatt counters, judging how high all of the obstacles are.

Throughout all of this exchange, Octavius has remained silent, thinking over the wager and his head and if he has even the slightest chance of winning.

"Oh, no," Shane cracks a grin while looking over at the general. "Did you get your feelings hurt?" the cowboy jokes as Octavius continues to look around the diorama at all of the different obstacles present.

"Well! Look at that, boys!" Sadie calls as she begins to ride towards the corral where the competition would start. "Now ya've got him shut up tighter than a clam in the ocean," the cowgirl remarks, closing the gate behind herself and the tan mare she is riding.

"He's givin' us the silent treatment," Jedediah agrees, teasing his best friend and honorary brother as the Roman continues to stay silent.

"I'll take your wager," Octavius quietly announces as he starts to climb onto Spirit's saddle.

"What did you say?" Jedediah asks in confusion, not quite sure if Octavius said what the cowboy thinks he said.

"I'll take your wager!" Octavius shouts this time, the familiar challenging look in his dark brown eyes as he settles on the saddle correctly.

"Well, this should be interesting," Jedediah says with a laugh present in his voice as he leads Lighting towards the corral and keeping his blue eyes on Octavius to make sure the Roman doesn't fall off the saddle. "I guess we'll split up into teams. Casey, Sadie, and Roy, y'all can be on a team with Ockie. Shane, Wyatt, an' Katy, the three o' ya can be on my team," Jed decides and everyone splits off into his or her respective team.

"Just for safety reasons, where will the medic be?" Octavius cautiously inquires in hopes to know where safety measures will be in case someone needed to be rushed to the healer. (Or, doctor as Jedediah insists on calling it; Octavius doesn't understand why healer is not a term used anymore.)

"Over there," Casey answers as he settles his horse down near the unofficial starting line for the "race" Jedediah has challenged Octavius to.

"Good. Now, Jedediah, when I win, I do not wish for you to be a bad sport or for me to have to say _I told you so,"_ Octavius brags, ever one to engage in pre-competition smack talk.

(The general believes that smack talk helps to improve one's performance in a task or competition for whatever reason Jedediah does not know.)

"When _you_ win? More like when _I win!"_ Jedediah challenges before whooping in success as he clears the fence of the corral without knocking against anything or injuring anyone. "I'm the best trick rider and racer in the entire Wild West!" the over-confident blonde cowboy brags, puffing out his chest as he mentions his own legacy that he has formed in the Wild West diorama.

"I bet you can't jump over this fence and the bush behind it," Octavius counters with that challenging glint in his dark brown eyes.

"Ha! You're funny, Toga Boy," Jedediah laughs, thinking that Octavius seriously must not know anything about trick riding in the Wild West.

Jedediah Smith has practically been raised in the saddle; his father taught him how to ride a horse when he could barely walk, true to what Jed said when he was riding the zebra. Ever since then, Jedediah has wanted to be in the saddle every possible minute and loves every second of it. The blonde cowboy has learned how to do trick riding over the years of his mountain-exploring days in the 1800s as well as throughout his days- or nights- at the museum. This being said, Jedediah is very confident in his own set of skills as he attempts to show Octavius who rules the rest in riding for style and trying to jump over obstacles. When the museum watched _Racing Stripes_ one night, Jedediah had been drawn to Sandy- the white mare- because she was a jumping horse that traveled all around the world to participate in competitions.

"Watch and learn, Octavius!" Jedediah calls over his shoulder as he backs Lightning up the farthest he can get from the fence and the bush behind it.

The jumping competition has officially begun with Jed and his supporters- Shane, Wyatt, and Katy- on a team in addition to Octavius, Sadie, Casey, and Roy making up a second team. Jedediah clicks his tongue against his cheek as he kicks his booted feet against the side of the paint stallion's flanks. The blonde cowboy rushes forward in a blur of blonde hair, tanned clothes, a red bandana, and that ever-present black Stetson. When he and Lightning get close enough to the fence, Jedediah clicks his boot against Lightning's side, an action which results in the cowboy flying over the fence on the back of the stallion. Jed turns his head up towards the ceiling before letting out a wolf howl as he clears the fence, the bush behind the fence, _and_ even the small well behind that as well. The cowboy's performance earns him cheers and applause from all of his friends and spectators. By now, most of the Roman soldiers that came over to the Western diorama with Octavius have found their attention drawn to the jumping competition.

"Bravo!" Octavius begins to cheer before remembering that he and Jedediah are in the middle of a competition. "I mean, that was acceptable, I suppose," the Roman recovers with a bit of sarcasm present in his voice.

"Nick would say you're bein' savage, Octavius," Jedediah remarks before bringing his own thoughts into the conversation. "I would say you're just bein' a sad sore loser," the blonde suggests as Octavius continues to just stare in shock at the fact that Jedediah was able to clear three obstacles at the same time.

"I was amazed by your success, Jedediah, true. However, we are in a competition and I would not be a good competitor if I was to be just kind and not encourage some kind of competitive nature in you, Jedediah," Octavius smiles, reaching out a hand to high-five Jedediah, an action which Jedediah slowly accepts and responds to. "I believe you must now give me a task to complete," the Roman reminds, petting Spirit with one hand while tightening his hold on the reins with the other.

Jed nods his head in acknowledgement before he looks around the corral and surrounding area before finding a challenge he deems just right for the general.

"Bet ya can't jump over this tree!" Jedediah shouts, motioning to the biggest tree in the middle of the diorama. "I double dog dare ya!" he continues, resulting in oohs from the other cowboys and the two cowgirls.

"Try something that is hard for me," Octavius confidently says, fixing his helmet before taking off in a charge towards the tallest tree in the Western diorama.

The tree is not all that high, actually. Standing at only about two inches taller than Octavius himself, said foliage is all together only a little bit taller than both Spirit and Octavius, leading to quite an easy jump for the buckskin stallion. With the tree behind them now, Spirit nickers in his laughing tone as Jedediah and Octavius refer to it. Octavius also starts laughing, pride evident on his face as he turns to face his best friend and the rest of the miniatures in the jumping competition. Casey shoots the Roman general a thumbs up while Sadie smiles at him to convey her sense of pride. Roy whoops and throws his hat skyward and if no one knew that Roy is Jedediah's nephew, one may guess the seventeen-year-old was Jedediah's son. Jedediah smiles and then proceeds to tell his honorary brother how great he did.

"That was great, Ockie! I'm impressed ya were able to get over that massive tree, partner," Jedediah congratulates, riding over to clap Octavius on the back for a job well done.

"Well, I had a good, calm, patient teacher that taught me the ropes on how to become a phenomenal horseback rider," Octavius grins, happy to reveal to Jedediah that the cowboy was able to teach him some valuable lessons and skills that can be put to use.

"It wasn't hard to teach ya, Octavius. You have such a need to please others and complete tasks fully that you're a pretty great student all across the board," Jedediah compliments his pupil, best friend, and brother.

"Thank you, my dear friend, I appreciate you realizing the deeper parts of my personality and my need to please others," Octavius smiles, pulling Spirit to a stop near Jedediah and Lightning.

The two horses have put past their animosities towards one another since the night when Spirit thought Jedediah was an enemy to Octavius and Lightning jumped in front of Jedediah to save the cowboy.

"One day soon I will tell you why I have the need to please someone with every task I do. It has to do with something in my early past," Octavius reveals, wanting Jedediah to now that he will open up to the blonde now that the two of them have swapped their tales of sorrow amongst one another.

"I'll be waitin' for that night, Octavius. Just say the words, and I'll drop whatever I'm doing that night to listen to ya," Jed encourages, resting a hand on the Roman's shoulder. "And that's a promise."

Octavius' dark brown eyes light up with such joy and happiness that his best friend would listen to more reasons why he is so high-strung and a need to be perfect all the time. The general feels very honored to have a friend like Jedediah in his life.

"I bet you can't jump over that lake," is a challenge that comes from Katy as she looks over at Sadie with mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Oh, come on! It's a piece of cake!" Sadie calls back, running her horse across the large area of ground before leaping through the air and crossing the lake while feeling as if she can fly.

Casey cheers loudly for his girlfriend, earning him a harsh look from his younger sister to which the blonde cowboy merely shrugs off.

"I bet you can't jump over that hay," Shane remarks to Roy, making the young cowboy straighten his hat and contain challenge and determination in his light blue eyes.

Roy looks so much like Jedediah in that instance that it is a little creepy since they are only uncle and nephew and not father and son.

"Bet ya I can and I'll do it all day!" Roy whoops before leaping over three bales of hay on the back of his trusty steed, whooping as he flies over.

The seventeen-year-old even goes as far as to let go of the reins with one hand in order to hold his Stetson over his head.

"Be careful, Roy!" Octavius shouts over the hustle and bustle of the still on-going hoedown as the young man tries to jump and hold one hand in the air at the same time.

"Yeah, Roy! We don't need ta take anyone to the doc's office tonight," Jedediah adds in, not wanting to see his nephew hurt.

Roy listens to both older men and rests his hand back on the reins in order to not fling off onto the dirt and hurt himself, the horse, or both of them.

The night ends with congratulations to both teams; Jedediah and Octavius had called it too close to call with Marcus and the other spectators agreeing. Neither diorama wanted its respective leader to feel too prideful or too negative about either winning or not winning. Octavius leads his men back to the Roman diorama about ten minutes before sunrise to get them all back in their ranks, but not without first giving Jedediah his usual goodbye.

"Farewell, Jedediah. Sleep well, my friend and I shall see you this evening when the sun sets!" Octavius remarks before saluting across his chest to the blue-eyed cowboy.

"Night, Octavius! Nice riding tonight, an' I'll see ya when the sun sets tonight. Sleep well this mornin', partner," Jedediah returns the sentiment as he raises his hand to the brim of his Stetson to give the Roman a proper cowboy salute.

If only either of them had noticed the brown eyes that were watching the interaction between Octavius and Jedediah with contempt and utter hatred for both parties…..

The next night breaks at sundown and Octavius saddles up Spirit quickly in order to go over to the Western diorama and ask Jedediah what their plans for the first half of the night are.

"Marcus, I'm going to the Western diorama for the first half of the night," he directs towards his second-in-command.

"Yes, Octavius. Have fun, my liege," Marcus responds to which Octavius smiles in gratitude for the good-natured wishes.

" _Bellatorum!_ You have the night off until I get back halfway through the night's activities. Feel free to go wherever inside the museum as long as you are back on Roman soil by no later than twelve thirty. Do we all understand?" Octavius explains to his soldiers before he swings himself up onto Spirit's leather saddle.

 _"_ _Etiam , general!"_ the warriors call back 'Yes, general' in Latin to let Octavius know that they both respect and understand his orders to them all.

"Very well! I shall see all of you at twelve thirty, then. Enjoy yourselves, my brave men! You have earned a half night of rest after all of the training we have done here recently!" Octavius compliments, knowing how hard his men have worked and pushed themselves these past few nights, especially while helping him teach Jedediah what it is like being a Roman.

With that, the Roman soldiers begin to disperse, many propelling themselves down the support ladders Octavius and Jedediah built for the two dioramas where someone doesn't break his or her body trying to get down from the dioramas. Octavius rides into the tunnel connecting Rome and the Wild West, a smile on his lips as he imagines one of the secret places he and Jedediah may can explore tonight. He definitely wouldn't suggest the air vents since they were almost caught by Teddy and Sacagawea when the museum's power couple was kissing in one of the remote places of the museum. The same pair of brown eyes watches Octavius from the shadows and a cruel smirk appears on the person's face as he or she watches Octavius get closer and closer.

The hit comes nearly as soon as Octavius' sandaled feet hit the ground in the Western diorama. Spirit is sent off in a frenzied panic by the same person who struck Octavius and the buckskin's nervous snorts can be heard from nearly everywhere in the diorama. Blood starts to spurt out of Octavius' nose in gushes; his nose was struck by the unknown attacker as it is one of the few places of Octavius' body that is not covered by armor. Octavius' brown eyes widen significantly and he reaches one hand up to clutch his now bleeding nose.

"Who in the world has dare to strike the mighty General Octavius?" Octavius all but roars, though his words come out sounding a bit odd due to the fact that he has to clutch his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

"Hey, crazy savage Roman cowboy wannabe man!" comes an all-too familiar jeering voice.

Octavius' vision blurs for just a minute as the blood continues to pour heavily from his nose. The famous general takes a shaky step forward before regaining his balance and normal sight.

"Wallace," he harshly says, reaching one armored hand to pull out his sword, only to have someone else grab his wrist and twist it behind his back.

The sword clangs to the ground. Octavius winces in pain as someone's harsh nails sink into his wrist in order to hold him still; the Roman closes his eyes to ask for both protection and to chastise himself for being so stupid. Octavius never used to let his guard down before making peace with Jedediah. Now look what happened….. No! Octavius terminates all such thoughts and beats himself up mentally for thinking such things about his brother in all ways but shared ancestors. He would _never, could never_ blame Jedediah for this. The blonde-haired cowboy would never allow this to happen on his soil, leading Octavius to believe Jedediah does not know the damage his men are causing.

"Yeah it's me, ya dumb, savage Roman!" Wallace remarks, spitting near Octavius' feet before having the man behind Octavius hold the general still.

Wallace takes that moment to sweep Octavius' legs from under him, falling the Roman onto the dirt covered ground with a rather loud "OOOF"!

"You dare to challenge the might of Rome?" Octavius manages to say, though his voice is weaker than usual as he lies on the ground with the wind knocked out of him. "I must say, barbarian, you will lose more than your courage when I am through with you," he threatens the ignorant cowboy while still lying flat on his back on the ground.

"Oooh, I'm so scared," Wallace sarcastically says. "Lookee here, Marshall," he jeers before pushing Octavius' limits too far. "It looks like Octopus is human after all with as much blood is comin' a-pourin' outta his nose like that," the horrible man laughs, crouching down on the ground near Octavius, an action which just makes Octavius even madder.

"What did you just call me?" Octavius demands, doing his best to push himself off of the dirt in order to gain some of his moral standing and commanding nature back.

"I called ya Octopus. That's your name, ain't it?" Wallace smirks, doing his best to get Octavius worked up again where he has a reason to continue beating up the Roman. " "Cause I've heard Jedediah call you that sometimes when the two o' ya are hangin' 'round not doin' nothin' important or useful."

The metaphorical hole Wallace has gotten himself into just keeps getting deeper and deeper by the second.

"None of Jedediah's nicknames for me are Octopus!" Octavius roars, standing up with blood staining his pale skin from his still-bleeding nose. "And, for your information, you uneducated, unsophisticated barbarian, Jedediah and I do not "hang out" as you put it," the general continues, a rather unattractive scowl appearing on his face as he now gets steaming mad. "The two of us share our bond of brotherhood together while exploring the museum, keeping our people safe, _and_ learning new skills along the way! That is something you will _never_ be capable of!" Octavius shouts, preparing to launch himself at Wallace even without his sword and blood pooling around his nose.

"You talk too much, Octopus. Marshall, shut him up for me, please," Wallace dangerously comments.

Before Octavius can even respond or turn around, something hard connects with the back of his head, bringing him down to the floor of the diorama and splitting his bottom lip along the fall back down to the harsh, unforgiving ground. Wallace simply cackles before walking away with Marshall right beside him.

"Jedediah," the Roman general softly calls out, doing his best to stand up before falling back down to his knees against his will.

It doesn't take too long for Octavius' vision to get blurry and for him to get knocked out while waiting for someone to arrive with help.

Roy runs all around the Western diorama in quite a haste, trying to find his Uncle Jedediah as quickly as he can. The seventeen-year-old's breath comes out in ragged gasps as he finally catches sight of Jedediah helping Shane and Casey with a bit of railroad construction.

"Uncle Jedediah! UNCLE JEDEDIAH!" Roy shouts at the top of his lungs, skidding to a stop directly in front of Jedediah with his sides heaving from all the running and yelling.

"Whoa, boy, what's wrong? You're runnin' like a cougar chasin' after ya. Calm down and tell Uncle Jedediah what's bothering ya or what's wrong," Jed says in a soothing tone, putting a comforting hand on his panicked nephew's shoulder.

"Have you seen Octavius tonight?" Roy inquires, taking deep breaths to try and regain some air back in his shaking body.

"No. Come to think of it, I haven't, Roy," Jedediah answers while scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "I'm sure he'll stop by later, though. Ockie's probably just training his army," he continues, not worrying at this point.

"No! He's here now!" Roy yells, tugging at Jedediah's shirt sleeve like a young child does when he or she wants an adult to come see what he or she has done or seen. "I saw him when I was walking with John! He was lyin' on the ground passed out an' with blood coming off his face!" Roy continues to shout.

"WHAT?!" Jedediah shouts out of shock, wheeling Roy around so fast to look in his nephew's eyes. "Where was he?" he questions, wanting nothing more than to run and find his best friend in the whole world.

"Near the tunnel that connects us to Rome," Roy answers, leading his uncle over there.

Jedediah wastes no time and does not wait on Roy before he takes off sprinting throughout the Western diorama, all the while shouting "I'm coming for ya, Octavius!" at the top of his lungs.

Jedediah Smith just hopes that he is not too late. He would have to have a serious word with whoever was present and saw Octavius fall down before bleeding.

Upon finding Octavius lying on the dirt with blood pouring out of his nose, Jedediah gasps and bites his tongue to keep from cursing left and right. He would notice the cause of so much blood anywhere. Someone had tried to break Ockie's nose. Jedediah would not stand for this. Anyone who hurt Octavius would need to be put on trial for treason in Jedediah's mind. Well, maybe that is a little harsh of him to think, but it doesn't change the thought in the cowboy's mind. Jedediah leans down beside Octavius before gently moving the Roman's head to where it is no longer slumped on the ground.

"Ockie," Jedediah whispers, trying to get a reaction from his friend by gently shaking his shoulder.

Almost instantly, Octavius' brown eyes open to see Jedediah's concerned face looking down at him, blue eyes laced with concern.

"Jedediah?" Octavius inquires in a scratchy voice since some of the blood from his nose has run into his mouth.

"Yeah, buddy. It's me. What happened, Octavius? Who did this to ya?" Jedediah calmly asks, though he still feels like screaming and calling anyone who is responsible a traitor that deserves to be hung for his or her crimes against the Roman general.

"Wallace attacked me and scared off Spirit. He punched me in the face and stole my sword while some other guy held me from behind," Octavius answers as he tries to sit up with a little bit of assistance from Jedediah.

"Who was the other guy, Octavius?" Jedediah asks through gritted teeth as he thinks of how much of a jerk Wallace is.

He should have seen the signs! Wallace has only been horrible to Octavius. Of course he would be the one to hurt Octavius! Jedediah is beginning to blame himself for not seeing it coming.

"I am not sure, my friend. I do not believe I have ever seen him. Wallace seemed to know him well enough," Octavius answers back, his hazy memory of not too long ago not allowing him to remember hearing Marshall's name in the conversation.

"I'm gonna go after Wallace and gives him what he deserves!" Jedediah declares in a shout, helping Octavius get back on his feet.

"Really? Jedediah, I assure you that is not…." Octavius begins before being cut off by Jedediah.

"'Course it's necessary, Octavius! He hurt ya real bad! And I don't care how ugly it gets!" Jedediah yells, a scowl starting to form on his face. "I'm gonna tear this guy apart!" the blonde continues in his fired up rage, his blue eyes storming dangerously and he takes off towards the saloon where he knows Wallace probably is since the dark-haired cowboy is there nearly every night.

Octavius can do nothing but follow along behind his best friend with Roy standing next to him to make sure he doesn't fall in. Soon enough, they are joined by other members of Jedediah's normal cowboy crew and they all approach the saloon. Octavius can only think that this is going to end badly.

Jedediah practically rips the door from its hinges when he swings it open with such a force that the saloon owner's dog goes and hides behind the counter in order to avoid the brewing conflict.

"YOU!" Jedediah roars, catching sight of Wallace first off and walks over before yanking the other man up by his brightly colored bandana.

"You got a lot o' nerve comin' in here with that piece o' Roman trash," Wallace confidently says, not letting Jedediah intimidate him just yet.

"I'm gonna shoot you in your dang eye!" Jedediah announces, using one hand to pull out one of his famous pistols before holding it level with Wallace's face.

Jed sees the other man pale a little bit before Wallace eventually regains some of the color in his face and smiles. The stupid guy actually smiles at Jedediah when the blonde could just as easily kill him with one shot.

"I'm unarmed," Wallace smiles, and Jedediah can't help but curse his luck.

You're not supposed to shoot an unarmed man in the Wild West or else you'd be marked as a coward for the rest of your days. And shooting a woman was just considered a death sentence, but Jedediah has never had need to fight a woman before.

"We can fist-fight, if you're brave enough. Or are ya too chicken like that wimp general ya keep defendin'?"

"I am gonna break your neck!" Jedediah announces before slipping his pistol back in its holster. "Nobody picks on Octavius and certainly nobody, no way, no how is gonna hurt my brother! If you mess with him, you mess with me!" Jed yells, putting his fists up and standing in front of Wallace with a dangerous and hateful look plastered on his face.

So, there they stood, face to face with one being a little taller and one being a little smarter. Jedediah has way more brain than Wallace will ever has whereas Wallace has about half an inch on Jedediah.

"You better pick that knife up," Shane tells Wallace with a smirk on his face. "You're going to need all the help you can get," he continues.

Shane's not an idiot. He's seen Jedediah fight before without his temper flaring up. _With_ his terror flaring up, Jedediah Smith could be compared to a ferocious Alpha wolf protecting his pack from invaders. And Shane knows that messing with Octavius just adds more fuel to the fire, meaning that Wallace could very well end up as a dead man by the end of the night.

"You three better get in there and help 'im!" Wyatt adds in, a grin on his face as he is thinking along the same line as Shane at this point.

Jedediah swings a punch, dropping Wallace to the ground with a punch to the stupid man's gut. Marshall launches himself towards Jed, only to have the blonde cowboy intercept the punch with his hand and using it on one of Marshall and Wallace's men. Jedediah then smacks his hand against Wallace's jaw, only to have Marshall slug him near his lip. The famous blonde cowboy tastes blood in his mouth resulting from a split lip that was more of a care-free problem at the moment to Jedediah as he takes on four people at once.

"Why are you not helping Jedediah?" Octavius demands from where he is sitting on the stool.

Jedediah had told him he was in no condition to fight due to his bleeding nose. Octavius would have disagreed; he had fought in battles way more serious and with way more injuries than just a bloody nose before. But, then again, Octavius would have also declared Jedediah as in no condition to fight due to how reckless the cowboy's temper makes him, especially when fighting.

"Ol' Jed always hogs the bad guys," Casey insists, his green eyes lighting up as Jedediah smashes two evil-doers heads together before both of them drop to floor and scurry away on their hands and knees.

"He's selfish that way," Roy laughs, tipping his Stetson back further on his head where he can get a better angle of the fight.

"But, there's four of them!" Octavius yells, watching as Wallace tries to smack Jedediah in the back of the head with an empty bottle. "Behind you, Jedediah!" the Roman warns, closing his eyes where he doesn't have to watch in case Jedediah did end up getting a glass bottle smacked over his head.

When his dark brown eyes open again, Octavius sees Jedediah spinning out of the way of the bottle before grabbing it in his own hand and tossing it over to Shane who dutifully puts it on top of a table out of the way.

"Go on, Jed!" Casey cheers, happy to see Jedediah throw Marshall on top of a table before punching Marshall in the face just under the evil posse leader's right eye.

That would leave a bruise tomorrow night….

"This'll hold 'em!" Jedediah smiles as he pulls out his lasso before binding the two evil doer's feet and hands together where they cannot move.

"That's our boy!" Shane whoops, walking up and clapping his hand over Jed's shoulder.

The blonde cowboy smiles only to reveal his split lip and the starting of a black eye on his left eye. Octavius shakes his head, knowing that is all too much like Jedediah to get himself hurt in a fight for honor and just because it is Jedediah doing the fighting on a temper rage.

"Next time you mess with Octavius, I'll knock you into next Tuesday!" Jedediah growls, walking over to Octavius before sitting down next to the Roman general with a smile.

While celebrating, no one notices that one of the other members of the posse comes and unties both Marshall and Wallace from the table.

"That's right! You better run, boy!" Jedediah shouts after the no-good varmint named Wallace as the man runs away from the saloon with blood staining most of his face from where Jedediah had punched him continuously. "Your little posse ain't always gonna be there to protect you! You hear me?!" he calls after them, his blue eyes containing as much power and force in them as a tsunami or hurricane would in the ocean.

With that, all of them leave the saloon and head for the medical tent to get Octavius and Jedediah checked out for injuries.

Sadie looks at the two of them incredulously as soon as they walk in.

"What trouble did we get into this time, Jedediah?" she inquires in an unamused tone as Jedediah and Octavius both sit down on chairs in the doctor's tent.

"Look, we're men. We fight. It's what we do," Jedediah explains himself, not wanting to get into any further details right now as Sadie checks over a scratch on his cheek near his nose.

"It's kinda how we pass the time," Octavius adds in, not wanting to admit the whole fight started because of him.

"You're lucky you don't need stitches," Sadie directs to Jedediah with a sigh as she starts to disinfect his cut with some rubbing alcohol, making Jedediah wince a little bit at the unexpected sharp pain. "I swear, the two of you seem to take turns getting hurt," she continues before Jedediah cuts her off.

"You should see the other guys, Sadie," Jedediah smirks, doing his best not to wince a second time when Sadie presses the rag with alcohol back up to the cut on his face.

"I have, Jedediah. Who do ya think helps out with all the patients since my uncle's out sick for the past few days?" Sadie inquires.

"Well, Lady Sadie, you are doing an utterly fantastic job," Octavius remarks once she has finished cleaning up his bloody nose and making sure nowhere else was cut open on the Roman's face.

"Thank you, Octavius. Now, the two of you take it easy, all right? I don't want to see the two of you back in this tent in the next week while I'm filling in for Uncle Buck, ya hear me?" Sadie grins.

"Loud and clear, ma'am," Jedediah says with a bow and a smile.

"Yes, Lady Sadie. I will try to keep Jedediah out of trouble," Octavius says with his famous Roman salute.

Jedediah and Octavius then walk out of the doctor's tent only for Jedediah to suggest something else that he and Octavius could do.

"You know what could be fun tonight?" Jedediah inquires, his blue eyes shining in mischief.

"I have to go back and train my men, Jedediah," Octavius answers back, not knowing what Jedediah could possibly have in mind. "What on Earth could you be thinking about, though?"

"Gather everybody up and play some poker," Jedediah grins, knowing very well and good he can beat nearly everyone in the Western and Roman dioramas in poker.

"Don't even think about it," Octavius cautions, knowing how extremely furious his men had been when Jedediah ended up taking all their earnings from two weeks' worth of Roman army service.

"Why? You're like _Dr. No We Can't Do Anything,"_ Jedediah jokes, just wanting to get everyone together to play a card game.

"And you're like _Mr. Yes Let's Do Anything Crazy and Dangerous,"_ Octavius teases back.

"Octavius…"

"I have to go train my men now."

"Uh-huh. Excuses."

"Try not to get sent to jail tonight over your revenge on Wallace!"

"Very funny, Ockie!"

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 13! I've been trying to get it up earlier this week since I was on Fall Break from school, but this chapter was so long and I was busy with fun activities since I'm usually busy with schoolwork! My community has started a rock hunt across town that have painted designs on them, so my sister and I have been searching for them. I found the most amazing ones because they were of** ** _The Lion King_** **characters! My best friend Nicole and I have been volunteering over break with puppies of all kinds! We worked with two puppies at the animal shelter near our school named Mickey and Tater Tot. They were so cute and sweet! We also volunteered at a run yesterday that supported shelter dogs, so we passed out water to the runners and their dogs. Also, I went to my first Italian circus over Fall Break! Octavius would be proud! If you ever have a chance to go see Cirque Italia, you should! It's very amazing and made for a very entertaining two hours! Well, that's all I have to say for now! (I have to help my sister find her rough draft of a Night at the Museum college AU she's starting to write.) Until Chapter 14, my amazing readers! Hope you guys and girls have an amazing day, afternoon, or night!**


	14. An Old Friend Returns and a Poker Party

**Chapter 14**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the OC characters in this story! The rest belong to Shawn Levy and Twentieth Century Fox. Oh, and I am going to point out again that the first movie takes place in 2018 for the sake of this story and the rest of my NATM stories. Everything else stays the same, including the time Ahkmenrah was locked up, but the movie dates are different where my OC can be eighteen. Also, to the guest that said they were going to stab their eyeballs out: I try to update as soon as I can, but school keeps me extremely busy! I have been trying to write this chapter, but I have not had the time to do so until now since I am on Thanksgiving Break from school. Please keep that in mind from now on. This chapter is dedicated to Owen Wilson who celebrated his birthday on November 18** **th** **! I hope you enjoyed your birthday! Anyway, onto the story!**

It has now been just over a year and a half since Larry and Hannah got their jobs at the Museum of Natural History in New York. However, as everyone is aware, Larry quit his job about three months ago and Hannah moved from her position as tour guide to night guard since she is the only other one that knows that the museum comes to life at night. All of this taken into consideration, tonight the museum exhibits are going to celebrate the family the museum has become since Cecil, Reginald, and Gus tried to steal the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. As soon as the sun goes down, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah begins to glow, sweeping its golden light throughout the Egyptian wing and the rest of the museum as well. Everyone wakes up in the museum, breaths flowing into each person, animal, or statue's lungs, allowing everyone to walk around the museum. Teddy rides towards Sacagawea's room, wanting to meet his lady as well as Lewis and Clark before heading down for the party.

"Evening, Hannah," Teddy smiles, tipping his hat at the college student as he rides down from his podium on Texas' saddle. "Are you off to see Ahkmenrah before the party gets started?" the president inquires, reaching down to shake her hand.

"Actually, Ahkmenrah is going to meet me in the Security Office to help me set up for the party," Hannah answers, petting Texas' nose, resulting in a soft nicker from the brown stallion as he nuzzles the young woman.

"Well, in that case, I shall see you after I meet up with Sacagawea for the evening," Teddy remarks, tipping his hat before taking his leave towards Sacagaea's room.

Ahkmenrah comes walking down the hall a few minutes later, clad in his traditional Egyptian top, but he has on a pair of black jeans that Hannah gave him when he expressed wanting to wear clothes normal to the "common era" as the young Pharaoh worded it.

"Hannah, are we all set for the preparations for tonight's party?" Ahkmenrah inquires, placing a kiss on his girlfriend's cheek as he looks into her blue eyes with a smile on his face.

"We are. I need your help bringing out the food I ordered," Hannah answers back, heading for the Security Office with Ahkmenrah trailing behind her like an adorable puppy.

"Did you get any of that delicious tomato-sauced food that I have come to love?" Ahkmenrah questions with hope expressed in his green eyes.

"You mean pizza?" she laughs, not believing that the Pharaoh still does not remember what one of his new favorite foods is called.

"Yes! I love that food like I used to love riding chariots back home in Egypt."

"Well, that's a new analogy, but it works. Yes, Ahkmenrah, I got pizza for the party tonight," Hannah answers with a smirk on her lips before she reveals what else she is thinking. "Don't worry, I could never forget how much you, Octavius, Jedediah, Attila, and Sacagawea seem to love pizza."

"It is a delicacy worthy of all of the world's creatures to feast! I believe even Ra himself would have loved such a food," Ahkmenrah announces with a flourish of his arms, prompting laughter from the college student and from Jedediah.

No one had noticed the two miniature leaders' presence in their relatively new Jeep until Jedediah had started laughing before he slipped and hit the car horn with his elbows. Octavius jumps in his seat, almost flying in the air if not for the seatbelt keeping him sitting on the leather seat. True, to the larger exhibits, the miniature Jeep's horn sounds like nothing more than a small squeak; however, to the miniature cowboys and Romans, the horn is the equivalent of a life-sized car's horn that would be deafening if heard in what was previously silence.

"Oops," Jedediah simply says with a smile on his face as he steps out of the Jeep, grabbing his Stetson in one hand before practically slamming the driver side door closed with the other hand. "So, what do ya have in mind to kick this party off right?" the cowboy inquires, climbing onto Hannah's outstretched hand in order to get passage from the main lobby to the Security Office quickly.

"I do believe Jedediah means to ask what we may do to help ensure that the party starts off well," Octavius remarks, climbing out of the Jeep himself before grabbing his helmet and closing the door gently.

"Well, I am sure we could always need help with the food and music," Ahkmenrah suggests, offering Octavius a ride on his palm, an offer that Octavius does not pass up.

"Now you're talkin', Ahk! Food and music are just up my alley!" Jedediah smiles, quite happy with the arrangement.

"Thanks for your help, you guys. I'm sure this party will be one of the best ones yet!" Hannah smiles, walking towards the office with Jedediah perched on her right shoulder.

"I am not sure, Lady Hannah," Octavius speaks up from his spot on Ahkmenrah's tanned hand. "It would be pretty hard to beat the first year's Christmas party," he laughs, thinking back to how entertaining and slightly confusing the whole Christmas celebration at the museum had been.

"Yeah. It should be agreed that Attila is never allowed to be around a fireplace or have any eggnog. Period," Hannah laughs, thinking back to all the humor that had been part of the first Christmas party the museum had as a family.

Even Larry had been able to attend the party; he was where the eggnog had come from. The former night guard had bought several bottles of the holiday drink, expecting everyone who wanted to drink any to only have about one glass apiece. Now, some people and exhibits like Hannah, Octavius, Sacagawea, and Ahkmenrah did not have any eggnog at all. Others, such as Teddy, Lewis, Clark, Jedediah, and most of the other cowboys had one, or at most two, glasses. Attila, on the other hand, served himself around four or five glasses, resulting in the King of the Huns running around the museum screaming like a child who has swiped three too many cookies from the kitchen.

"Yeah, true," Jedediah agrees with a laugh as he thinks of the Hun's antics. "Well, maybe we can make this party a bit more fun with some card games we've learned an' the ones we knew from the past," the blonde cowboy continues, a smirk on his face as an idea pops into his head.

"No," Octavius simply responds, knowing what game Jedediah has in mind.

The general would not allow the cowboy to lead him down that road of yelling and frustrated Roman soldiers and Westerners alike. Again. Jed couldn't resist making bets with the Roman soldiers, hoping to take the soldiers' payment for the week.

Jedediah sighs as he realizes that Octavius has said no once again to one of his ideas.

"Aw, come on! Why can't we play poker tonight?" Jedediah asks, holding his hands against the back of his blonde hair.

"There are many reasons, Jedediah," Octavius sighs in return, shaking his head as he also rolls his brown eyes. "For one, my men were absolutely infuriated the last time you took all of their salaries from two weeks' worth of military service," the Roman general begins to say, only to be cut off by Jedediah.

"It's not my fault your men don't know how to bet!" the blonde cowboy says, rolling his light blue eyes as he thinks back to the one time Octavius had conceded to letting his soldiers play poker with the cowboys in Jed's diorama. "If ya were to let 'em play again, I'd be able to teach 'em how to actually play and maybe even win!" he continues, earning him a light laugh from Ahkmenrah.

"I do believe that Octavius would not appreciate you taking his men's earnings," Ahkmenrah softly and kindly says, using what some in the museum like to refer to as his "Pharaoh Tone".

True, the young Pharaoh had perfected such a calm and compassionate tone of voice during his short, yet effective, reign in Egypt nearly four-thousand years ago. Ahkmenrah has found that this tone suits him well when trying to help resolve disputes- even small ones like the one currently playing out between Octavius and Jedediah. In fact, whenever an argument or crisis is involved in the museum, Ahkmenrah usually comes to assist Teddy, Sacagawea, and Hannah when anyone or any of the animals or statues could get hurt. After all, Ahkmenrah considered everyone in the museum to be his people that he swore every night by the light of Khonsu that he would protect. (Well, people, animals, statues, faceless puppet creatures, and anything else in the museum to be completely accurate.)

"All right. We won't get any o' your men involved, Ockie," Jedediah compromises, Ahkmenrah's regal tone not going unnoticed as he can get most of the museum exhibits to cooperate with him.

Teddy is extremely proud of the young Pharaoh's skill in calming tensions and getting their fellow exhibits to make compromises. He and Sacagawea have taken to thinking of Ahkmenrah as a son, as both the president and famous tracker have become very close to the young Egyptian king and want him to feel loved regardless of the fact that he had been left locked in his sarcophagus for over fifty years when Cecil, Gus, and Reginald ran the museum like tyrants with iron fists. Teddy still feels terrible for not releasing Ahkmenrah sooner…. He could have diverted so much pain…

"Fine! I cannot stand when Marcus, Cassius, and the others come to me with their complaints on how you or your men swindled them out of their wages for two weeks," Octavius agrees, shaking Jedediah's hand in a peace of some sort before revealing something that surprises Jedediah even more. "I, however, will play your card game of poker because I will not be a "sore loser" as you call it," the Roman general responds, crossing his arms over his chest in a slightly defiant and proving manner to try and get Jedediah to realize he would not just lie down and accept defeat.

Pleased with the miniatures' compromise, Hannah and Ahkmenrah continue walking into the Security Office in order to get the food out of the refrigerator and get the decorations out of the locker in order to hang them in the lobby.

"Ahkmenrah, can you and Jedediah go and hang up the decorations while Octavius and I get the food into the lobby and arrange the table with the food on it?" Hannah asks as she hands Ahkmenrah the streamers and balloons, along with the disco ball Madison brought up on one of her trips to visit Hannah during one of the younger girl's school breaks.

"Of course we can, my love. Come, Jedediah. Let us go and set up the decorations for our celebration of friendship and family!" Ahkmenrah smiles his dazzling smile as his green eyes light up like emeralds, Jedediah whooping as he jumps onto the Pharaoh's shoulder, grabbing onto one of the many jewels on the golden cape.

"See ya guys later! Don't eat all the food while I'm gone!" Jed shouts over his shoulder- and Ahkmenrah's shoulder- as he and Ahkmenrah head for the main lobby.

"The only one who would eat all the food before anyone else's arrival would be you or maybe young Nicholas if he was here," Octavius smiles, knowing very well how much Jedediah and Nicky seem to eat when the two of them are in the same room.

If only Nicky was here since Larry had gone off to start Daley Devices….

"Hey! I heard that!" a familiar voice comes from the lobby as said person plays Tug-of-War with Rexy.

His voice merits different responses from the nearby people.

"Nicky!" Ahkmenrah smiles as he all but slams into Nicky due to running into the lobby to see his younger friend.

Over the year that Larry still worked at the museum and brought Nicky along, Ahkmenrah and the now eleven-year-old Nicky had become close friends and almost like brothers. In fact, Teddy and Sacagawea had walked into the Pharaoh's tomb many times to see Ahkmenrah giving Nicky and Hannah Egyptian lessons or the president and tracker would find Nicky and Ahkmenrah engaged in playing Mario Kart in the Security Office on nights Hannah was at her dorm either studying or sleeping to prepare for the next day of college.

"Ahk!" Nicky yells, dropping the pull rope much to Rexy's disappointment before rushing over to Ahkmenrah and squeezing the older boy in a bear hug. "I've missed you!"

"And I have missed you as well, Nicky. The museum has missed your spirit and I have missed our Mario Kart experiences and occasional spars," Ahkmenrah winks, not wanting Nicky to get in trouble from anyone such as Teddy who may find out that Ahkmenrah has been teaching Nicky both self-defense and how to fight.

"Yeah," Nicky quietly says. "It's been really quiet without you guys and since my dad started his own business," he continues, hanging his head slightly.

"Aw. Why the long face, Nick?" Jedediah questions, walking down Ahkmenrah's arm to where he is now at eye-level with Nicky.

"Jed! I didn't even see you there!" Nicky gasps, leaning up and seeing the famous blonde cowboy on Ahkmenrah's arm. "Of course, it's not because you're a miniature. You were blending into Ahk's cape with your blonde hair," the eleven-year-old laughs.

Nicky always wanted to make the miniatures feel like people, just like the museum and its "guardians" have taught him to do. After all, Nicky could sympathize with being the smallest out of the group. He definitely was one of the smaller boys in his grade, especially now since he is in sixth grade. However, no one but Ahkmenrah and maybe Sacagawea- okay, and Erica- know his fear of being picked on for not being as buff or as tall as some of his classmates.

"Nice to see ya, Nick," Jed greets, tipping his black Stetson before giving the boy a proper salute. "How'd ya get yer mom an' Don to let ya come to our little party, boy?" he asks, confused as to why Erica let Nicky come to the museum without Larry working there anymore.

"Well…. I told her Miss Hutman was going to help me develop a good theme for my history paper that's due next month," Nicky reveals, resting one hand on the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Nicky, you know that Miss Rebecca does not work nights," Ahkmenrah reminds, not sure if the eleven-year-old has forgotten the schedule of the museum due to Larry no longer working at the museum.

"Yeah; I know. I already had a topic picked out like two weeks ago. That was just a distraction for my mom to let me come without any questions," Nicky continues to explain, earning him a high-five from Jedediah.

"That's my boy! Always thinkin' on his feet!" Jedediah whoops, pride sparkling in his blue eyes at how he has taught Nicky to use a few small lies- or "stretchers" as Jedediah called them- in order to preserve the greater good.

"What, may I ask, is he having to think about?" Sacagawea inquires as she and Teddy ride into the museum lobby on Texas.

"Nicholas! Dear boy, it's been too long since your last visit!" Teddy remarks with a wide smile as he slides down from Texas' saddle before picking Nicky up and squeezing him in a tight hug. "How have you been, lad?"

"It's so great to see you, Teddy!" Nicky grins, though he struggles a bit to try and escape Teddy's extremely strong grip. "Sorry I haven't visited a lot lately. I've been having trouble coming up with excuses to come if I'm not staying with Dad when he decides to come," the eleven-year-old admits, sighing as he looks down at the tiled floor.

The President of the United States has Nick swept up in the air above the ground, keep in mind.

"You look well, Nicky. How has school been going for you this semester?" Sacagawea brings up, knowing that Nicky is about to end his sixth-grade year in a few weeks.

"Great for the most part, Sacagawea!" Nicky answers, finally leaping down from Teddy's arms and then wrapping his arms around Sacagawea as the Shoshone woman holds him close to her as she strokes his floppy brown hair with a grin on her face.

If only her own son was here with her in the museum. Alas, the Museum of Natural History could not find or did not think it was necessary to find Sacagawea's baby to go into the display. Sacagawea is not sure which is the case, but the reason is not important. The only thing that matters is that her baby, her Jean-Baptiste is not here with her and Teddy right now. Sacagawea has no doubt that her Teddy-Bear would make an excellent father for her infant son.

"We just learned about you, Lewis, and Clark in class last Friday!" he announces, earning quite the amused look from Sacagawea as she looks down at Nicky as he remains in her arms as she strokes his hair much in the same way she would do for Jean-Baptiste and even like how Erica used to soothe Nicky to sleep when he was younger.

"Oh?" she feigns surprise, receiving smiles and smirks, respectively, from Teddy and Jedediah. "What exactly did you learn about?" Sacagawea continues, wanting to know exactly what schools are teaching today's children about her and the two men she has grown to love as family during their many years together in the solitude of their exhibit and in actual history as well.

"All right, try not to get mad," Nicky starts off, a statement which Sacagawea knows is never a good way to start a sentence or conversation.

"Well, we started off just learning about Lewis and Clark and how they were sent to explore the new territory by order of Thomas Jefferson," Nicky explains, captivating his audience of adults on what exactly they learn in school about historical figures in the museum. "But, then, I raised my hand and asked Ms. Hallswallow when we were going to learn about you and how much you really helped Lewis and Clark. I told her how you basically lead the expedition and carried baby Jean-Baptiste on your back almost the whole journey since you told me he was born late at night at Fort Mandan during the expedition," Nicky continues all in a whirl, pausing ever so slightly to catch his breath.

"You are very smart, Nicky," Sacagawea praises, a statement which makes the boy grin widely. "I am proud you remembered all that I have told you; I am even prouder that you chose to speak up against such false representation of me at school," the young Shoshone woman happily remarks, pride shining in her dark brown eyes as she realizes just how brave Nicky was for challenging his teacher's notion of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

"Indeed, Nicky. I am glad to hear that you stand up for us during your education hours," Ahkmenrah smiles at the boy he considers to be like a younger brother.

The young Pharaoh has no idea why Kahmunrah so despised having a younger brother. Having a younger sibling wouldn't be so bad in Ahkmenrah's mind.

"I agree with both Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah, Nicholas. I am very proud of you for bringing to light the injustices against my dear Sacagawea and other women in the time period, regardless of their unwavering strength and dedication," Teddy grins, reaching out to ruffle the boy's light brown curls and clap him over one shoulder.

More people, animals, and other inhabitants of the museum come down into the lobby, anxious and excited to begin the party that would be sure to celebrate a year and a half worth of peace in style.

Kumari the tigress could handle most nonsense and overall loud noises in the museum. She had once lived in the jungles outside of one of India's busiest cities, so the world of talking humans and music is not foreign to her. The chittering Capuchin monkey who insists on jumping off of the stairwell and onto her back and rippling muscles on her limbs is a different matter entirely. Dexter leaps from the stair-rail for the tenth time, much to Kumari's annoyance as this time he lands directly in the middle of the orange tigress' spine, resulting in a sharp roar exiting Kumari's lips as she snaps her head backwards to look at the monkey she deems as a pest. Dexter chitters nervously, knowing that the museum's resident tigress is one of the best and most ferocious hunters the animal kingdom has ever seen. The attack comes instantly. Kumari springs up from her position on the bottom stairs where she has been happily lounging as the party heads into full swing, throwing Dexter off of her back and the Capuchin lands on the floor on all fours. Monkey and tigress stare at one another for three seconds, Kumari's piercing light brown eyes staring into Dexter's much smaller brown ones, leading the monkey to hop up on his hind legs and make a run for it. Enraged, Kumari snarls and roars her heart out, giving chase to the monkey almost instantly. She wasn't known as being one of the best hunters in the animal kingdom without any reason; within two seconds she has caught up to Dexter and is pouncing towards the Capuchin that can never seem to leave her well enough alone, only for her potential victim to be snatched up from the ground by a well-respected museum individual.

"Dexter," a no-nonsense and motherly tone scolds as Sacagawea picks Dexter up from the floor and holds him still on her arm. "You know that Kumari does not appreciate it, nor does it feel particularly well on her spine and back," the young Shoshone woman continues, making sure that the Capuchin understands that he could have seriously hurt the glistening orange tigress.

Dexter starts to chitter in monkey sounds as Ahkmenrah approaches in order to get Kumari to calm down since she still looks like she wants to tear Dexter's head off, regardless of the fact that Sacagawea is having a stern talk to him to ensure it never happens again. No one _ever_ disagrees or disobeys Sacagawea; they know that she can be extremely fierce and not one to be trifled with when she wants to be.

"Is he saying something, Ahkmenrah?" Sacagawea questions the young ruler of Egypt as he kneels down next to Kumari and strokes the tigress' head with love and to try and get the majestic cat to calm down.

Unknown to most people in the museum, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah actually allows the Pharaoh for which it was named and created for to talk to and understand animals. This magical shroud surrounding the tablet has come quite in handy now that Ahkmenrah has been released from his sarcophagus and now that the animals have mostly free reign about the Museum of Natural History.

"Dexter is saying that he is sorry for jumping on Kumari's back; he was only trying to have fun," Ahkmenrah translates the Capuchin's speech into words that he and Sacagawea would understand. "Kumari is stating that she does not want to be bothered by the little pest we call Dexter any longer," he continues to translate before his green eyes get significantly wider and he pales slightly for just a brief moment. "I am not going to tell Sacagawea that, Kumari," Ahkmenrah remarks in a slightly stern voice, wanting the tigress to know that he would not repeat such dark thoughts to the other inhabitants of the museum.

Sacagawea's face switches from one of concern to one of confusion as she does not quite understand why Ahkmenrah would not want to repeat what Kumari said if the tigress still had concerns about Dexter invading her personal boundaries and space away from noise and chaos.

"What did she say that you will not repeat it? Surely, she does not know some of the unprintable words that we hear some of the teenagers and adults say during the day hours," Sacagawea wonders aloud, hoping that Ahkmenrah will elaborate upon what Kumari is saying.

Ahkmenrah clears his throat before getting what can only be described as a nod of approval from Kumari as she also allows Ahkmenrah to scratch under her stomach where the softest fur is aside from her head.

"She said that she could have caught and disposed of Dexter without anyone ever knowing until it was too late where he could never cause trouble again. Then she says that this could not happen once you scooped him off of the ground, so for that Kumari is a little disappointed," Ahkmenrah recaps in what the others know to be as his "dark humor" tone of voice.

Kumari nods in agreement to the statement, licking her lips as she looks over at the trembling Capuchin in Sacagawea's arm. Dexter scampers down from Sacagawea's grip and runs until he gets to where Attila is playing soccer with Columbus, Lewis, Clark, the other Huns, with a few of the lions and other big cats running after the ball to try and hone their hunting skills that have dulled a bit since being contained in the museum. With that, Dexter takes cover on Attila's hat, knowing that the King of the Huns and Kumari have quite the strong bond and that no one ever attempts to fight Attila since they are guaranteed to lose. With the dispute resolved for now, Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah go back to the party. Ahkmenrah heads over to where Nicky, Teddy, Jedediah, Octavius, and a few of the other cowboys are sitting around a table that has been brought from the Security Office with some cards that Ahkmenrah has never seen before in their hands.

"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Ahkmenrah inquires, sitting down in the chair between Nicky and Teddy as he takes notice of their concentrated faces.

"Playin' Texas Hold 'Em poker," Jedediah responds as he flips over a card in the middle of the table after the last player puts out his bet of gold coins or dimes in Nicky's case per Teddy's suggestion to not wipe the eleven-year-old boy completely out of money that he may need to purchase food or a soft drink during hockey practice throughout the year.

"Would you like to play, Ahkmenrah?" Teddy questions, wincing as he realizes the cards in the center of the table are not doing him any favors this hand.

"Well, I do not know…" Ahkmenrah starts off, watching as Jedediah claims all of the money from the center of the pile this hand, leading to the blonde cowboy having a stack of money far bigger than anyone else's who is playing the current game of poker.

"Aw, come on, Ahk!" Nicky says with a smile as the card Octavius turns over for the center must be beneficial to the two cards he already has in his hands. "You'd have a lot of fun," the eleven-year-old smiles, trying to get the four-thousand-year-old Egyptian Pharaoh to play poker with them.

"You couldn't possibly be any worse than Jedediah is so fond of saying I am," Octavius encourages; the Roman general knows he is one of the worst poker players Jedediah has ever played before.

"Yeah, Toga Boy here is terrible!" Jedediah agrees, watching as Octavius loses all of his bet once again as Nicky clears the board this time.

"We'll try an' go easy on ya at first, Ahkmenrah," Casey brings up while dealing out new cards to everyone for the next hand.

With that, Ahkmenrah accepts two cards and listens to the rules of the game from Nicky, Teddy, and Jedediah where he may have a chance at winning.

Meanwhile, Hannah and Sacagawea sit watching Attila, Lewis, and Clark continue to play soccer with all the big cats of the museum except Kumari now running after the soccer ball as Attila and the two famous explorers play what can only be described as "keep away" from the lions, tigers, cheetah, and leopard alike. Kumari is resting on the top of the information desk, resting her head in Hannah's lap while part of her body brushes against Sacagawea's arms and face.

"Attila, watch out for Rexy," Hannah calls to the King of the Huns as Rexy comes thundering into the lobby with Ragnar the Viking leader riding on the T-Rex's back with Ragnar's hunting dog Bear running behind them, barking happily as he seemingly races Rexy.

Attila makes sure to move the ball and himself out of the path of Rexy and Bear, only to be leaped on by the adolescent leopard the museum exhibits, Hannah, and Nicky have taken to calling Mara due to the grace and agility she seems to possess when leaping from low vantage points into tall trees. The leader of the Huns laughs before stroking Mara's spotted fur with delicate motions most of the museum forgot he possessed. Dexter takes the moment to jump off of Attila's hat and onto Ragnar's shoulders as the Viking lord steps off of Rexy's back, rubbing the T-Rex's nose with a smile and a form of thanks that only the Viking and T-Rex understand.

"What exactly are they doing over there?" Sacagawea questions, seeing Teddy throw his hands in the air before scooping what look to be gold coins in his direction from all sides of the table. "I thought they were just playing a card game, but there seems to be money involved," she continues in confusion, not sure why her Teddy Bear is taking money from the other exhibits and from Nicky.

It was very strange for her to watch, indeed.

"They must be playing poker, then," Hannah answers as she stands up to head over to where the presents are sitting for the gift exchange she arranged with Teddy and Sacagawea for everyone in the museum. "You can go over and see what they're doing if you want. We won't start gift exchange for another hour," the college sophomore continues, Kumari following behind her as the tigress realizes she would not be able to nap on the information desk with Rexy now being in the room. "I just have to make sure that between Dexter and Rexy both being in the room that none of the presents get opened or go missing."

With that, Sacagawea heads off towards the boys to see exactly what they are doing and why none of the women of the museum were invited to join said game.

She arrives at an apparently awkward moment for Nicky, because the eleven-year-old blushes fiercely when Sacagawea asks him a question.

"Who is this girl named Veronica that you are mentioning, Nicky?" Sacagawea asks in her maternal tone, coming up behind Nicky and Ahkmenrah before resting her hands on Nicky's shoulders as she looks at his cards.

"She's just a girl at school that I may kinda like," Nicky blushes as red as a tomato as he tells Sacagawea.

After all, she was almost the equivalent of his mother whenever Erica was not around! To add to this, Don had already told Erica all about Nicky's crush on Veronica, so Erica has been trying to help Nicky either talk to Veronica or get her to notice him through kind acts he could do for her. With Sacagawea finding out, Nicky knows that he will have twice the help from both his mother and from Sacagawea. While nothing is wrong with that, Nicky is almost certain that no one else at the museum except for Sacagawea would know why he could never ask her out even if they were old enough to date. Alex, the school's all-star basketball player also had his eyes on Veronica and the older boy was much taller and bigger than Nicky, meaning that Nicholas Daniel Daley got intimidated and extremely nervous when Veronica was around and Alex was not far away. Alex once pushed Nicky down on the concrete outside school one day, resulting in Nicky's face and arms to be covered in scratches and bruises, along with rip holes in both of the knees of his favorite pair of jeans. Only Sacagawea and Erica- maybe Ahkmenrah and Hannah as well- would understand why he could never ask Veronica to come over to his apartment or hang out one day after school. (The only reason so few people at the museum know about Alex and what he has done to Nicky is because Nicky knew that Teddy and probably Attila would want to go to Alex's house in the dead of night and repay the boy for his disgracing acts on Nicky. This is mostly due to the protective "Papa Bear Nature" as Nicky and Sacagawea call it that both Teddy and Attila have for the younger or smaller members of the museum.)

"Don't let that little flicka get away!" Wyatt says to Nicky, not wanting Nicholas to ever give up hope for fighting for the girl of his dreams.

"A what?" Octavius and Sacagawea inquire, not exactly sure what the miniature cowboy is trying to tell Nicky. Sacagawea would not allow for anyone to give Nicky any bad advice that would get him hurt or try and make him change who he is; for all matters considered, Sacagawea herself sometimes forgets that she is not Nick's mother.

"It means, uh, a pretty girl or somethin'," Roy remarks, having heard Casey say it on one or two occasions in the Western diorama when talking to Sadie or about Sadie.

"That's what Casey calls Sadie," Shane reveals with a smile playing on his lips as he tosses a smug look at the blonde-haired, green-eyed cowboy.

"Oh. He does, does he?" Jedediah smirks, not quite sure why he has never heard this gossip before now. The famous cowboy can never resist jabbing comments such as that at his friends and fellow museum exhibits.

"A flicka is just a young, innocent girl," Casey defends his choice of words while scowling at Shane for giving away his secret word for his girlfriend. "You can see in her face the beauty she will become," the blonde continues, his green eyes expressing his love for Sadie.

Casey then realizes that the others at the table are staring at him, with Jedediah continuing his teasing by holding up hearts with his hands and making kissing noises.

"My mama used to call my little sister flicka," Casey ends his statement, not wanting to argue right now about what he may or may not call Sadie when others are not around.

"Sure she did," Jedediah laughs before stopping suddenly once he sees the warning glare that Sacagawea is giving him.

"So, Teddy, my love, what exactly are you playing this evening? And why does it require money?" Sacagawea inquires, now moving to stand behind Teddy as she wraps her arms around his neck before pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

"Well, my dear," Teddy starts off, kissing Sacagawea's hands in the process before then continuing on with his explanation. "We are playing poker, and it requires you to make bets on who will win each hand of the game," the President of the United States explains, hoping that he has done a satisfactory job, since he is generally not accustomed to explaining the game without the full rules being explained as well.

"And why, Teddy Bear," she whispers in his ear where no one else can hear her nickname for him since Jedediah and Octavius have already heard the secret nickname by mistake. "Were no women invited to play this game?" Sacagawea inquires further, knowing that Teddy is all about women having rights as she is, especially when it comes to everyday activities.

"Well, Sacagawea, my dear, we could have let you play if you so desired. I did not think you would want to play since you walked over to sit with Hannah and watch Lewis, Clark, and Attila play with the felines of our family," Teddy smoothly recovers as a thin line of sweat appears on his forehead and around his mustache.

He didn't want to make the love of his life, his moon, his sun, and his stars- Sacagawea was all of those and more to Teddy Roosevelt- feel she was unincluded on purpose or because they wanted to have an all-male game of poker. Teddy would always allow Sacagawea to do anything her heart desired, and he hopes she knows that.

"We can deal you in if you would like, Sacagawea," Ahkmenrah smiles, offering her his chair between Teddy and Nicky. "I do not have to play this round; I believe I have already lost enough of my gold coins for tonight," Ahkmenrah admits, hanging his head a little bit as he realizes that between Teddy, Nicky, and Jedediah that he has lost all that he was willing to bet.

"Please do. It sounds rather fascinating," Sacagawea smiles as she looks over at Teddy before she sends a thumbs-up to Lewis and Clark who are watching from their positions near the information desk.

This would be an interesting turn of events to say the least.

To say everyone is surprised at the outcome of the game is quite the understatement. Sacagawea ends up winning and sweeping nearly all of the money ever put forward in the game into her stack. She even got Jedediah to bet all of his money, leaving the cowboy with no gold coins at all, despite him winning eight out of the ten hands the boys played without Sacagawea. Teddy's mouth just is agape as he stares at Sacagawea in shock; words cannot form in his brain, nor would they be able to leave his mouth in this shocked state.

"Wow, Sacagawea! You're amazing!" Nicky remarks in a gasp, noticing that Sacagawea has gotten everyone but Casey's money in the one game that she played.

"Indeed, Lady Sacagawea. The mind games you played on Jedediah were extremely helpful in improving your game and getting him to think he had the upper hand, or cards, in this instance," Octavius adds in, a small smile on his face as he realizes that Jedediah could not help himself and had to push his luck.

Finally able to formulate words, Teddy barely manages to get out two words.

"How, Sacagawea?" he barely gets out, his blue eyes widening in shock as Sacagawea takes the money she earned and puts it in a small bag she carries in one of the pockets of her dress.

"Lewis and Clark have taught me how to play card games with money involved; you can blame them for my winning streak," Sacagawea smirks before continuing. "Now, Teddy, I do believe you promised me we could go up to the roof and look at the stars," she sweetly smiles, standing up and looping her arm through Teddy's while sliding Nicky's dimes back to the eleven-year-old.

"What are these for, Sacagawea?" Nicky questions in shock, not sure why he is the only one getting back his money that was lost.

"No one should ever take your money again, Nicky. Remember that and you shall be able to keep everything that you desire in life. If you would like, you can join us on the roof to look at the stars and the moon," Sacagawea sweetly tells the young boy with a wink, and Nicky knows that she is talking about more than just the poker game and his lost money.

With that, Sacagawea, Teddy, and Nicky start to head up towards the roof to gaze at the night sky in peace and quiet before returning downstairs for the present swap.

"Do you think they learned their lesson, Clark?" Lewis asks with a smile as he sips his coffee that the explorer made in the Security Office.

"I believe so, Lewis. It only has affirmed what we already have known for years," Clark laughs, sipping a bit of his hot chocolate with marshmallows.

"And what might that be?"

"Never underestimate Sacagawea, especially if you believe it is something she has never done before," Clark smiles, knowing how well Sacagawea seems to complete impossible tasks, especially when there may be doubt surrounding her abilities.

Sacagawea was not someone who should be underestimated; if anything she should be feared when an unfavorable effect may be produced on the loser or opponent. Lewis and Clark had seen her battle animals and humans alike in the forests during their expedition, especially if her life or Jean-Baptiste's was ever placed in danger. The two men were proud and privileged that they have been able to know such an independent, strong, caring, devoted, and surprising woman. Life- and the museum- would not be the same without her.

 **Author's Note: And there's Chapter 14! I know it's not one of my longer chapters, but I had started this chapter about three weeks ago when I had an hour of spare time and forgot where this chapter was going! The next chapter will definitely include the party and what the presents were to each member from either his or her best friend or significant other in Teddy and Sacagawea's case. Shout out to arwenishtar for all of her inspiring and helpful comments! I will go read Chapter 10 of Life Afterwards right after I post this, arwenishtar! Thanks to all the rest of you who read and/or review this story! You guys and girls are amazing; I appreciate every single one of you! I don't know when the next update will be since I have my 11** **th** **grade semester exams coming up in a little more than two weeks. Well, until then, my amazing readers! I hope you have a great day, afternoon, or night and keep on the lookout for any update or a new NATM story from me!**


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